THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


I<ittle    Wolf. 


A  TALE 


OF  THE  WESTERN  FRONTIER. 


BY 


MRS.  M.  A.  .CORNELIUS. 


CINCINNATI: 

JOURNAL    AND     MESSENGER, 
No.  178  ELM  STKEET. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872,  by 

MRS.  M.  A.  CORNELIUS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


fs 


CONTENTS : 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  sad  breakfast — The  Sherman  Family — The  Lan 
guage  of  Flowers — What  a  Young  Man  was  sure  of 
—The  Parting 5 

CHAPTER  II. 

Pendleton — The  Revelation  at  the  Saloon — Euphon 
ious  names — The  Encounter — Our  Heroine  Appears 
and  Highwaymen  Disappear 19 

CHAPTER  III. 

A  Reign  of  Confusion— Bloody  Jim— Little  Wolfs  Al 
lies  Prepare  for  Defence — Family  Trouble 30 

CHAPTER  IV. 

More  Troubles — Who  was  Bloody  Jim — His  Attempt 
at  Kidnapping  Little  Wolf— The  Cause  of  His  Ha 
tred  and  the  Terror  he  Inspired 41 

CHAPTER  V. 

Dr.  Goodrich  leaves  with  Daddy  as  Guide — Daddy's 
War-like  Preparations — His  Testimony  to  the 
Curse  of  Strong  Drink — What  they  Discovered  on 
their  way  to  the  Village 53 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Saloon  Keeper — Comforting  Reflections — The 
Unwelcome  Call — Diabolical  Plotting 70 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Music — The  Warning — Preparations  for  Winter  Inter 
rupted — The  Welcome  Boat. 77 


332835 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The   Love-letter — Discussion — A    Quick    Ride — Too 

Late — Violence  and  Death 89 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Bloody  Jim's  Advantages — The  Fainting  Captive — 
The  Tragic  Quarrel— Outwitted  at  Last— The  Ref 
uge 100 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Kidnapper's  Surprise— On  the  Wrong  Track- 
Bloody  Jim's  Capture— The  Rotten  Plank 108 

CHAPTER  XL 

Harmless  Conspiracy — The  Ghost— The  Wife  Mur 
derer — Tippling  and  Tattling — Misrppresentations.,119 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Cottage  in  the  Grove — The  Disguise — Back  to 
Health — Impatience — Searching  the  Box — Antoi 
nette  La  Clair's  Siory 129 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Twofold  Agony — Dr.  Goodrich's  Promise — Home 
Again — Lilly  Foot — The  Convalescent — The  Neigh 
borhood  Weddiuu — News  from  Chimney  Ruck — 
The  Sherman  Family  at  the  We.-t 146 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Rough  Roads — The  Happy  Bridegroom — Jacob  Men 
tor's  Experience— Fairy  Knoll — A  Joyful  Meeting. .160 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Busy  Preparations  and  the  Climax — The  Lovers — 
Tom  Tinknor's  Discovery — Gent-ral  Rejoicings — 
The  Idol  Defaced 170 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Painful  Recollections — The  Last  Boat  of  the  Season — 
Ruffled  Plumes — Reconciliation 181 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Winter  Sports — The  Doctor's  Visits— Preparations 
for  New  Year's  Day— A  Discussion 189 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  New  Year's  Ball— A.  Check  to  Festivity— The 
Midnight  Ride— Death  ia  the  Old  Brown  House. .  .201 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Neighborly  Sympathy— Little  Wolfs  Bosom  Friend 
A  Disappointed  Lover 215 

CHAPTER  XX. 

A  Weight  of  Sorrow — Marrying   a    Drunkard — Sus 
pense 227 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Daddy's    Diplomacy — A    Passage  at  Arms — Fannie 
Green — A    Catastrophe 235 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  Rescue 248 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
An  Indian  Messenger — Frozen  to  Death 260 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
A  Crisis— Pri.le  and  Folly 271 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  Sleighing  Party — Clara  Hastings — Mother  and 
Son 280 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Letter  Writing — Daddy's  Nocturnal  Labors  and  early 
Walk 294 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

Doing  and  Getting  Good— WycofTs  Reform 308 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Daddy's  Soliloqy — A  Beer-Soaker — A  Knock-Down 
Argument — A  Present  for  Little  Wolf 323 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
A  Chapter  of  Accidents  and  Deliverances 333 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Another  Saloon  Scene — The  Bridal  Trousseau— The 
Lovely  Nurse 341 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

Threats— Little  Wolf  and  Black  Hawk— Tragic  Death 
of  Hank  Glutter 354 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

The  May  Day  Weddings — Miss  Orrecta  Lippincott's 
Surprise— How  Old  Lovers  Behave 367 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

The  Old  Brown  House  Deserted — The  Pearl  and  Dia 
mond  Ring — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marsden's  Conjectures.  .380 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

»  A    Trip    to    California — Jumping    Overboard— The 
t     Grand  Supper  and  what  Came  of  it — The  Captaii 
^"~  Little  Daughter 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

A  Visit  to  Mrs.   Sherman's  Room — Daddy  and  his 
New  Spouse — Ominous  Signs 408 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

More  News  from  Little  Wolf— Tom  Tinknor's  Testi 
mony 415 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
Another  Death  in  the  Old  Brown  House 423 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
Daddy's  Temperance  Lecture .*. 430 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

Death  in  Mid  Ocean — Love  Making  and  a  Double 
Wedding 448 


Fhe 
in's 
...393  , 


LITTLE   WOLF. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  SAD  BREAKFAST — THE  SHERMAN  FAMILY 
— THE  LANGUAGE  OF  FLOWERS — WHAT 
A  YOUNG  MAN  WAS  SURE  OF — THE 
PARTING. 

|l  ARL  Y  in  the  morning  of  a  long  ago  mid 
summer's  day,  the  inmates  of  a  quiet 
New  England  home  were  making  un 
usual  preparations  for  the  approaching  repast. 
The  mistress  of  the  house  was  ostensibly 
overseeing  the  table ;  but  there  was  an  un 
certainty  in  her  movements,  which  indicated 


6  LITTLE     WOLF. 

a  contradictory  mingling  of  interest  and  ab 
straction,  such  as  agitates  the  mind,  when 
trifles  intrude  on  more  weighty  matters.  Not 
so  the  maid  in  attendance,  who  had  served 
in  her  present  capacity  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  and  was  without  dispute  an  adept  in 
the  culinary  department,  if  not  in  affairs  of 
the  heart.  She  was  not  so  obtuse,  however, 
in  the  present  instance,  as  not  to  perceive  the 
uncomfortable  state  of  her  mistress,  and,  not 
withstanding  the  pressure  of  business  in  hand, 
she  magnanimously  paused  a  moment  to  at 
tempt  a  word  of  comfort.  How  to  approach 
a  subject  which  had  been  continually  on  the 
lips  of  the  whole  family  for  weeks,  was  now 
the  poor  girl's  difficulty.  Every  instant  was 
precious.  She  was  in  a  measure  neglecting 
the  smoking  viands  under  her  supervision,  and 
her  long  established  reputation  as  cook  was 
in  jeopardy.  At  this  critical  juncture  she 
blundered  out,  "  Mrs.  Sherman,  it's  a  pity; 
indeed,  it  isT  that  he,  that  Edward,  is  bent 
on  going." 


LITTLE  WOLF  7 

"  Why,  Recta,"  interrupted  a  musical  voice 
reproachfully,  "  ma  is  already  convinced  that 
it  is  a  pity  Edward  is  going.  It  remains  for 
us  to  persuade  her  that  he  will  speedily  re 
turn." 

"  Bless  my  heart,  is  that  Miss  Louise  ?  " 
said  Recta,  turning  to  the  person  who  had  so 
unceremoniously  interrupted  her  condole- 
ments."  Well,  now,  I  declare,"  she  continued, 
"  if  I  ain't  beat.  Young  girls  have  great  arts 
of  covering  up  their  feelings.  There's  Miss 
Louise  taking  on,  and  walking  her  chamber 
all  night,  and  now  she's  telling  me  what  to 
say  as  unconcerned  as  if  this  wasn't  the  last 
meal  she  was  going  to  enjoy  with  her  only 
brother." 

"  O  fie,  Recta,  haven't  I  told  you  that  Ed 
ward  is  coming  home  again  soon,"  said  Louise, 
and,  she  added  with  a  blush,  "  You  must 
have  heard  kitty  in  your  dreams,  and  magni 
fied  her  step  into  mine.  You  know  you  have 
often  said  my  tread  was  as  light  as  Tabby's." 


8  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  But  it  wasn't,  last  night,"  persisted  the 
other,  "  it  was  as  heavy  as  lead." 

The  blush  deepened  on  the  young  lady's 
cheek ;  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  auda 
city  with  which  this  privileged  servant  had 
assailed  her  veracity,  as  for  other  and  more 
private  reasons,  herein  unfolded.  It  was  not 
indeed,  the  distress  occasioned  by.  her  broth 
er's  departure,  which,  as  intimated  in  the 
preceding  conversation,  was  about  to  occur, 
that  she  desired  to  hide ;  but  there  was  one 
to  accompany  him,  on  whom  she  had  bestowed 
more  than  a  sister's  love,  and  furthermore, 
this  friend,  having  arrived  the  day  before, 
had  progressed,  perhaps  farther  in  his  suit 
than  .on  any  former  occasion,  Such  being 
the  state  of  the  case,  it  was  natural,  that, 
with  her  lover  under  the  same  roof,  she  should 
be  jealous  of  exhibiting  feelings,  others  than 
a  sister's  love  Would  warrant.  To  cover  her 
confusion,  therefore,  which  Recta  secretly  ex 
ulted  in  having  occasioned,  she  retorted ; 


LITTLE   WOLF.  9 

"  Heavy  footsteps !  ridiculous  !  Look  at 
me,"  and  she  drew  up  her  slight  little  figure ; 
"  for  shame,  Recta ;  confess  it  was  your  heavy 
ears,  and  I'll  forgive  you." 

Recta  compressed  her  lips  and  Louise  im 
mediately  changed  her  tactics. 

"  What  a  nice  breakfast !  Recta  knows 
what  Ned  likes,  don't  she,  ma  ?  Fie  !  Ned 
wont  stay  long  away  from  Recta  and  broiled 
chickens,  will  he,  ma  ?  " 

Recta's  lips  visibly  expanded.  "  I  reckon 
he  won't  stay  long  away  from  Miss  Louise 
and  flowers,"  said  she,  glancing  at  a  beautiful 
bouquet,  which  Louise  held  in  her  hand. 

"Aren't  they  lovely,  Recta?  I've  just 
gathered  them  fresh  for  Edward.  Now  I'll 
arrange  them  on  the  table,  while  you  put  on 
the  hot  dishes.'" 

"  Gathered  for  Edward,  as  much  as  they 
are  for  me,"  muttered  the  unconquered  ser 
vant.  "Roses  and  forget-me-nots  mean  — 
well,  George  Goodrich  will  know  what  they 
mean ;  that's  enough." 


10  .  LITTLE   WOLF 

As  dispatch  was  no  mean  part  of  the  cook's 
accomplishments,  it  was  not  long  before  the 
parties  mentioned  in  her  private  conjectures 
were  seated  at  the  breakfast  table,  in  compa 
ny  with  the  family,  the  names  of  all  of  whom 
we  know  already.  It  will  be  observed  that 
allusion  has  been  made  to  but  one  parent. 
The  memory  of  the  other,  still  lived  fresh  in 
the  affections  of  his  wife  and  children,  and 
deserves  first  notice  among  those  whose  plans 
and  persons  we  shall  endeavor  in  a  few  words, 
to  introduce  more  minutely  to  the  reader. 

Judge  Sherman  was  a  man,  who,  through  a 
long  and  active  life,  was  distinguished  for  in 
flexible  integrity,  and,  by  means  of  ster 
ling  talents,  he  rose  to  the  first  rank  in  his 
profession  as  a  lawyer.  He  married  at  an 
early  age,  although  his  courtship  approached 
closely  to  the  term  of  years  which  Jacob 
served  for  Rachel.  Political  differences  of 
opinion  were  the  obstacles  which  opposed  his 
suit.  In  those  days  the  Federalists  and  Dem 
ocrats  indulged  in  animosities  as  bitter  as 


LITTLE     WOLF.  11 

those  which  existed  between  the  Jews  and 
Samaritans.  The  latter  party,  being  in  its 
infancy,  could  ill  afford  to  lose  even  a  petti 
coat  from  its  ranks.  Luckily  for  the  young 
Federalist,  the  lady  of  his  choice  was  in  her 
heart  a  rebel  to  her  father's  will  and  pur 
poses.  But  after  she  became  Mrs.  Sherman, 
the  united  influences  of  both  did  not  annihil 
ate  the  opposite  party,  as  its  future  history, 
clearly  demonstrates.  The  ball,  set  rolling 
by  Jefferson,  continued  to  roll  on,  and  Judge 
Sherman,  to  the  day  of  his  death,  never  saw 
his  favorite  principles  triumph.  In  his  efforts 
of  a  pecuniary  nature  he  was  more  successful. 
He  had  accumulated  a  handsome  property, 
consisting  mainly  of  many  broad  acres  of  well- 
cultivated  Massachusetts  soil,  which,  for  a 
long  course  of  years,  had  been  in  charge  of  a 
faithful  and  efficient  tenant,  occupying  a  cot 
tage  a  short  distance  from  his  own  dwelling, 
a  plain  old-fashioned  house,  situated  on  an 
airy  knoll  near  the  centre  of  his  domains. 

Here,  for  nearly  two  years   after  her  hus 
band's  death,  Mrs.  Sherman  lived  in  seclusion, 


12  LITTLE  WOLF. 

receiving  only  occasional  visits  from  her  chil 
dren,  Edward  and  Louise.  The  son  being 
engaged  in  studying  his  father's  profession, 
while  the  daughter  was  at  school  preparing 
herself,  it  would  be  safe  to  say,  to  follow  her 
mother's  business.  Indeed,  it  was  a  fixed 
fact  in  her  own  mind,  that  when  George 
Goodrich,  her  brother's  warm  friend  and  her 
ladyship's  still  wanner  admirer,  should  be 
come  established  in  his  profession  as  a  physi 
cian,  she  would  then  trust  herself  to  his  care, 
without  fear  of  poverty  or  disease.  But  the 
young  M.  D.  having  no  patrimony,  and  becom 
ing  disgusted  with  the  slow  path  in  which 
he  was  treading  to  fortune,  resolved  to  turn 
his  course  into  a  rougher  road  at  the  far 
West. 

About  the  same  time,  Edward  Sherman, 
having  been  admitted  to  the  Bar,  with  no 
other  reason  except  Yankee  restlessness  and 
craving,  turned  his  thoughts  in  a  similar 
direction.  On  discovering  to  each  other  their 
mutual  proclivities,  the  friends  determined  to 
set  out  together,  as  soon  as  Edward  could 


UTTLE  WOLF.  13 

gain  his  mother's  consent,  for  the  Territory 
of  Minnesota.  With  characteristic  nobleness 
and  fortitude,  Mrs.  Sherman  sacrificed  her 
her  own  to  her  son's  wishes,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  morning  of  his  departure,  that  her 
courage  faltered. 

Mother-like  she  sat  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  unable  to  swallow  a  mouthful  herself, 
while  urging  every  delicacy  upon  her  darling 
son. 

"  Do,  dear  Edward,  have  another  cup  of 
coffee,"  she  pleaded,  observing  that  his  cup 
was  empty,  while  his  breakfast  remained  un- 
tasted. 

"  Well,  just  to  accommodate,"  said  Edward 
smiling.  "  I  really  have  not  much  appetite 
this  morning." 

"I'm  glad  you  can  relish  it,  Mr.  Edward," 
said  Recta,  in  a  whining  tone.  "It's  seasoned 
with  old  Spot's  cream,  and  I'm  thinking  it 
will  be  a  long  tune  before  you'll  taste  any 
more  tame  milk,  out  there  among  them  wild 
cattle." 


14  LITTLE  WOLF 

At  this  remark,  the  great  square  dining- 
room  rang  with  the  laughter  of  the  younger 
occupants  of  the  old-fashioned  straight  backed 
chairs, — this  being  the  only  room  in  the  house, 
to  which  the  progressive  spirit  had  not  yet 
extended,  except,  indeed,  that  which  was 
manifested  in  the  cut  glass  decanters,  stand 
ing  empty  on  the  handsome  sideboard. 

A  deep  convulsive  sob  broke  from  Mrs. 
Sherman,  and  the  merriment  instantly  ceased. 
The  mother  leaned  forward  and  covering  her 
face  with  her  hands,  gave  vent  to  her  long 
suppressed  feelings.  Edward  was  by  her  side 
in  an  instant,  and  throwing  his  arms  around 
her  neck,  exclaimed : 

"  Mother,  I  will  not  leave  you!" 

"  Then  I  can't  go  alone,"  whispered  George 
Goodrich  to  Louise. 

"  Ma,"  said  Louise,  "  Dr.  Goodrich  says  he 
will  stay,  too." 

"No,  not  quite  that,"  said  the  embarrassed 
lover. 

"  O,  you  must  both  go,"  interrupted  Mrs. 


LITTLE     WOLF.  15 

Sherman,  recovering  with  an  effort  her  pres 
ence  of  mind ;  "  and  we  are  wasting  precious 
tune,"  she  continued,  pointing  to  the  clock, 
with  returning  firmness. 

The  old  clock  which  occupied  one  corner 
in  seven  feet  grandeur,  would  as  soon  have 
thought  of  stopping  to  indulge  in  sighs  and 
tears,  as  would  Mrs.  Sherman,  when  her 
spirit  was  moved  to  the  necessity  for  action. 
So,  all  the  scruples  of  her  son  were  peremp 
torily  shut  out  of  existence,  and  Recta, 
frowned  into  silence,  withheld  the  probe, 
which,  having  fallen  into  the  common  error, 
she  had  mistaken  for  the  healing  salve. 

In  passing  briefly  over  the  season  of  part 
ing,  there  is  an  item  which  should  claim 
special  attention  for  a  moment,  as  it  is  inti 
mately  connected  with  the  destination  of  our 
adventurers. 

As  Edward  stood  by  the  family  carriage, 
which  was  to  transport  them  to  the  public 
conveyance,  while  waiting  for  his  friend,  who 
had  appropriated  to  himself  a  private  moment 
with  Louise,  Mrs.  Sherman  inquired  rather 


16  LITTLE   WOLF. 

anxiously,  "  Edward,  have  you  that  letter  ?" 
"  Yes,  mother,"  and,  more  to  fill  up  an  un 
pleasant  gap  of  time  than  to  prove  his  ver 
acity,  he  produced  from  his  pocket  the  mis 
sive.  It  was  superscribed,  "Dr.  DeWolf, 
Chimney  Rock,  Minnesota  Territory." 

Prompted  by  the  same  motive  which  had 
actuated  the  other,  Mrs.  Sherman  repeated 
some  of  her  previous  instructions. 

"  Now,  Edward,  when  you  arrive  at  Pend- 
dleton,  by  all  means  make  an  immediate 
effort  to  discover  the  whereabouts  of  Dr.  De- 
Wolf.  I  should  much  like  to  hear  from  your 
father's  early  friend.  I  think  he  states,  in 
the  only  letter  we  have  ever  received 'from 
him,  that  he  has  fixed  his  home  at  Chimney 
Rock,  in  the  vicinity  of  Pendleton.  How 
ever,  he  may  have  removed  from  there  by 
this  time,  although  he  was  not  of  a  roving 
disposition.  The  persuasions  of  an  affection 
ate  wife,  who  saw  with  anxiety,  her  husband's 
growing  love  for  the  wine  cup,  induced  him 
to  emigrate  to  the  far  West.  In  breaking 
away  from  the  associations  which  led  him  to 


LITTLE  WOLF.  17 

form  the  habit,  she  hoped  he  might  attain 
that  rank  in  his  profession,  which  his  brilliant 
youth  had  promised.  Edward,"  and  here 
Mrs.  Sherman's  voice  sank  to  a  whisper, 
"  your  father  was  saved  about  that  time.  It 
was  by  signing  the  Washingtonian  Temper 
ance*  Pledge.  Be  warned,  my  son,  and  flee 
the  temptation  which  had  well  nigh  stigma 
tized  you  as  a  drunkard's  son.  I  have  always 
intended  to  tell  you  this,  but  the  subject  was 
too  harrowing.  I  could  not  do  it." 

"  You  might  have  saved  yourself  the  pain, 
now,  mother,"  said  Edward  proudly;  "  There 
is  no  danger  of  me" 

That  positive  declaration  came  from  just 
such  a  son,  as  many  a  widowed  mother  and 
affectionate  sister  have  doted  on.  Generous, 
warm-hearted,  and  strikingly  handsome,  Ed 
ward  Sherman,  appeared  a  perfect  type  of 
manhood.  Were  it  not  that  the  noblest  forms 
have  sometimes  hid  blemished  souls  the  world 
had  not  so  often  been  baptized  in  tears. 

The  lovers  were  now  at  hand.     Time  had 


18  LITTLE  WOLF 

flown  with  them  on  a  "  dove's  wings,"  and  its 
flutterings  lightened  their  last  adieu. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PENDLETON —  THE  REVELATION  AT  THE 
SALOON  —  EUPHONIOUS  NAMES — THE  EN 
COUNTER  —  OUR  HEROINE  APPEARS  AND 
HIGHWAYMEN  DISAPPEAR. 

JOURNEY  of  a  few  days  brought 
our  travellers  to  the  lively,  bustling 
village,  which  for  convenience  we  have 
named  Pendleton,  situated  on  the  Upper  Mis 
sissippi.  After  several  hours  of  rest  and  re 
freshment  at  their  hotel,  they  sallied  out  to 
enjoy  a  pedestrian  excursion  in  the  cool  of 
the  day.  Not  much  of  the  place  of  their  so 
journ  was  visible.  Gaslight,  had  not  wan 
dered  so  far  from  its  birthplace.  The  enter 
prising  inhabitants,  however,  had  manufac- 


20  LITTLE  WOLF. 

tured  an  article  by  the  same  name,  but  it  was 
never  known  to  generate  light.  The  wagging 
of  the  machinery  was  all  that  came  of  it.  % 

"  Lager  Beer,"  pronounced  Edward  Sher 
man,  glancing  at  the  gilt  letters,  that  stood 
out  in  bold  relief  on  the  illumined  window  of 
a  fashionable  saloon,  which  they  were  at  the 
moment  passing. 

"  Yes,  lager  beer,"  repeated  George  Good 
rich,  musingly.  "Ned,  what  a  nation  of 
beer  drinkers  we  are  becoming.  Not  at  the 
east  only,  but  these  western  towns  seem  to 
have  a  beer  saloon  at  every  corner." 

"  Well,  Doctor,  what  is  more  harmless  than 
beer  ?  Come,  let  us  turn  back  and  take  a 
glass  ;"  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Ed 
ward  had  passed  behind  the  screen  which 
shaded  the  entrance,  before  the  expostulations 
of  his  companion,  who  followed  mechanically, 
could  reach  his  ear. 

While  Edward  was  leisurely  sipping  his 
lager,  the  loud  and  angry  voices  of  a  party 
of  young  men,  who  were  in  the  act  of  leav- 


LITTLE     WOLF.  21 

ing  an  adjoining  apartment,  used  as  a  billiard 
saloon,  attracted  his  attention.  As  a  lady 
proved  to  be  the  cause  of  the  altercation,  we 
will  do  them  the  justice  to  state  that  they  were 
decidedly  under  the  influence  of  stimulants, 
One  of  their  number,  less  insane  than  his 
companions,  was  endeavoring  to  quell  the 
disturbance. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  the  name  of  a 
lady,  whom  we  all  respect  should  not  be  used 
too  freely." 

"  Just  so,"  chimed  in  another,  "  I  say,  let 
the  matter  rest." 

"  The  hatchet  is  buried.  Peace,  peace,  to 
Dr.  DeWolf  and  his  lovely  daughter,  forever," 
sang  out  the  third. 

The  name  and  place,  introduced  in  the 
quarrel,  quite  satisfied  Edward  that  the 
daughter  of  his  father's  friend  was  the  sub 
ject  of  the  altercation. 

"  I've  had  a  revelation  to-night,  George," 
said  Edward,  when  they  were  again  in  the 
street. 


22  LTfTLE    WOLF. 

"Then  your  eyes  were  opened,  and  you 
saw  the  handwriting  on  the  wall,  did  you  ? 
Pity,  those  poor  fools  we  left  behind,  could 
not  borrow  your  optics." 

"  Ah,  Doctor,  you're  on  the  wrong  track. 
It  has  been  revealed  to  me,  that  Dr.  DeWolf 
has  a  lovely  daughter,  and — come,  now,  don't 
interrupt  me  with  your  old-fashioned,  worn- 
out  temperance  hobby  —  as  I  was  about  to 
say,  I  have  in  my  possession  a  letter  of  intro- 
tion  to  said  DeWolf.  He  was  formerly  a 
friend  of  father's,  and,  of  course,  it  will  be 
my  duty  to  cultivate  his  acquaintance  and 
that  of  his  lovely  daughter,  as  early  as  pos 
sible,  —  say  to-morrow.  What  say  you,  friend 
sober-sides  ?  You  know,  my  particular  weak 
ness  is  a  lovely  lady." 

"  Why,  it's  no  affair  of  mine,  Ned.  Flirt 
ing  is  out  of  my  line.  But,  how  do  you 
know  the  lady  is  lovely  ?" 

"  Why,  was  it  not  revealed  to  me,  through 
the  imprudence  of  a  whole  bevy  of  her  ad 
mirers." 


LITTLE    WOLF.  23 

"  O,  but,  Ned,  the  ravings  of  a  set  of 
drunken  rowdies  is  not  conclusive  evidence." 

"  True,"  said  Edward  more  seriously, "  but," 
smiling  again,  "  it's  a  young  lady,  anyhow, 
and  I  hope  she  is  handsome." 

Nothing  further  was  said  on  the  subject 
that  evening,  but,  on  the  day  following, ' 
young  Sherman  was  informed  by  the  landlord, 
of  whom  he  inquired,  that  Dr.  DeWolf  resided 
at  Chimney  Rock,  about  five  miles  distant, 
and  to  the  question,  "  Has  he  a  family  ?" 
replied,  "But  one  daughter,  a  beauty  of 
some  celebrity." 

The  informant  observed  the  gratified 
twinkle  in  the  eye  of  his  guest  and  was  not 
surprised  when  Edward  ordered  a  carriage  to 
be  in  readiness  for  him  directly  after  dinner, 
"  The  road  is  precipitous  in  some  places, 
and  horseback  riding  is  considered  safer," 
suggested  the  landlord. 

"  Well,  two  saddle  horses,  then,"  replied 
the  other. 


24  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Accordingly,  at  the  time  above  specified, 
our  adventurers,  each  mounted  on  a  dapple 
gray,  set  out  for  Chimney  Rock.  The  scorch 
ing  sun,  and  dusty  streets,  and  poor  little 
withered  flowers  by  the  wayside,  prodigals 
from  the  adjoining  valley,  were  soon  ex 
changed  for  the  "  Valley  Road,"  fringed  with 
the  loveliest  specimens  of  the  floral  family, 
and  cooled  by  the  shade  of  the  surrounding 
bluffs.  Like  all  other  things  in  life,  this  part 
of  their  journey  was  of  short  duration. 

"  Half  a  mile  on  this  road,"  said  Edward, 
reining  in  his  steed,  and  repeating  previous 
instructions,  "brings  us  to  the  'Siamese  Twins' 
a  double  bluff  singularly  joined  towards  the 
top  by  the  projection  of  an  enormous  rock. 
Now,  we  are  here,  and  no  mistake,  then  turn 
to  the  right." 

"And  keep  the  road  as  best  we  may," 
said  Dr.  Goodrich,  raising  his  hat,  and  wiping 
the  perspiration  from  his  brow.  "Well, 
come  on." 


LITTLE  WOLF.  25 

They  went  on,  on  and  on,  over  rocks  and 
ledges  and  fallen  trees ;  fording  streams  and 
climbing  heights  (for  they  had  lost  their  way) 
until  the  lengthened  twilight,  attendant  on 
the  summer  evenings  of  Minnesota,  began  to 
darken  into  night. 

At  this  junction,  when  it  may  be  readily 
imagined  that  Edward  Sherman's  ardor  had 
somewhat  cooled,  and  the  emotions  of  his 
fellow  traveller  were  not  of  the  most  agree 
able  nature,  alternate  snatches  of  song-sing 
ing  and  whistling  were  heard,  not  far  distant. 
The  bewildered  parties  rode  hastily  forward, 
and  met  the  musician. 

"  Can  you  tell  how  far  we  are  from  Chim 
ney  Rock,  my  friend?  We  have  lost  our 
way,"  said  Edward  frankly. 

"  Why  no,  you  ain't  lost  your  way  nei 
ther,"  replied  the  stranger  roughly.  "You 
are  there,  now.  Just  ride  round  the  'tother 

side  of  this  bluff,  and  you'll  see  all  there  is 
of  it." 

"  Well,  can  you  inform  me  where  Dr.  De- 
Wolf  lives?"  " 


26  LITTLE  WOLF 

"I  guess  I  can.  Keep  right  straight 
ahead,  when  you  get  the  'tother  side  of  the 
Pass,  there.  That  road  takes  you  down  to 
Hog  Run,  and  the  Run  takes  you  to  Beer 
Holler,  and  the  brewery  is  right  in  the  Hol 
ler,  and  'tother  side  of  that,  on  the  hill,  is  Dr. 
DeWolfs." 

"  What  a  huddle  of  euphonious  names," 
exclaimed  the  Doctor,  after  having  proffered 
a  "  Thank  you,  sir,"  to  the  individual  who 
had  so  opportunely  appeared.  "  Beer  Hollow 
will  be  just  suited  to  your  mind,  Ned.  In 
that  romantic  spot,  inhaling  the  perfume  of 
your  favorite  beverage,  love  making  will  be 
doubly  intoxicating." 

"  Hush,  Doctor,  eavesdroppers  ahead," 
said  Edward,  pointing  towards  the  Pass. 

Now,  the  Pass  was  nothing  more  than  a 
narrow  strip  of  table  land,  serving  as  a  pass 
age  way  between  the  Mississippi  "River,  and 
a  towering  bluff.  The  view  of  the  river  was 
here  intercepted  by  a  thick  grove  of  trees 
and  shrubbery,  which  our  horsemen  had  al 
ready  entered.  They  did  not,  therefore,  see 


LITTLE    WOLF.  27 

the  tiny  green  skiff,  with  its  Sprinkling  of 
white  letters  on  the  bow,  christening  it  "  Com 
et,"  shoot  ahead,  and  dart  into  the  little  cove 
near  by,  one  of  the  most  romantic  and  cosy 
of  those  emerald-hung  parlors  opening  from 
the  grand  reception  hall,  of  the  "Father  of 
Waters."  Neither  did  they  see  the  fair  occu 
pant  rise  on  tip-toe,  and  peep  mischieveously, 
through  the  festooned  loopholes  of  the  forest. 

But  they  saw  the  dark  objects  to  which 
the  last  speaker  had  called  attention,  parti 
ally  concealed  by  the ,  trees.  The  beast  on 
which  Edward  was  mounted  stopped  sud 
denly,  shivering,  apparently  with  fear.  In 
stantaneously,  two  dark  figures  darted  from 
their  lurking  places,  and,  in  lowgutteral  tones 
demanded  money.  Unarmed,  and  completely 
in  the  power  of  the  ruffians,  who  each,  pistol 
in  hand,  held  firmly  by  bit  and  bridle,  the 
horse  of  his  victim,  the  part  of  wisdom, 
seemed  to  be  to  surrender. 

At  that  instant,  a  slight  figure  glided  from 
the  thicket  behind  the  waylayers,  and  cau- 


28  UTTLE  WOLF. 

tiously  drawing  forth  a  revolver  which  pro 
jected  from  the  belt  of  the  nearest,  placed 
the  muzzle  at  his  back  and  fired.  He  fell 
with  a  deep  groan.  Another  discharge  fol 
lowed  quickly,  and  his  companion  reeled 
several  yards,  seizing  convulsively  trees  and 
shrubbery,  and  finally,  was  heard  sliding 
down  the  bank  towards  the  river. 

"  Now,  ride  for  your  lives,  there's  more  of 
them,"  said  their  deliverer,  in  a  voice  husky 
with  excitement. 

"  What  will  you  do  ?"  said  Edward. 

"  Take  my  skiff." 

"  No,  mount  here,  quick,"  and  he  drew  her 
up,  and  set  off  at  full  speed. 

"  Now,  turn  here,  now  up  that  hill ;  now 
we  are  there,"  the  lady  faintly  articulated,  as 
they  flew  along,  and  drew  up  before  her 
father's  door. 

The  house  at  which  they  had  arrived,  was 
the  residence  of  Dr.  DeWolf,  and  the  her 
oine  of  the  adventure,  was  no  other  than  the 
Doctor's  only  daughter,  quaintly  named,  Lit- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  29 

tie  Wolf.  She  had  been,  as  was  her  wont, 
on  a  short  independent  trip  up  the  river.  In 
the  fulllenjoyment  of  the  romantic  scenery 
and  twilight  hour,  night  had  stolen  upon  her 
unawares.  Warned  of  her  imprudence  by 
the  distant  clatter  of  horses,  she  immediately 
turned  homeward.  The  swift  current  aided 
her  efforts,  and  she  neared  the  Pass,  just  in 
time  to  overhear  all  that  was  said.  Not  sat 
isfied  with  the  dim  outline  of  objects,  which 
a  peep  through  the  leaves  disclosed,  she 
sprang  to  the  shore,  and  catching  by  the 
branch  of  an  overhanging  tree,  drew  herself 
up  the  steep  bank.  The  part  which  she  per 
formed  in  the  perilous  encounter  is  already 
known  to  the  reader,  but  the  leading  motives 
which  prompted  it,  will  be  better  understood 
hereafter. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  REIGN  OF  CONFUSION  —  BLOODY  JlM  — 
LITTLE  WOLF'S  ALLIES  PREPARE  FOR 
DEFENCE — FAMILY  TROUBLE. 

SHOUT  from  the  fugitives  brought 
several  faces  to  the  window,  and  from 
the  door  hobbled  an  old  man.  He 
cautiously  peered  into  the  gloom,  and  finally 
at  the  sound  of  a  familliar  voice  sidled  up  to 
Edward  and  his  charge. 

"  '  Tween  you  and  me,  what's  the  matter  ?" 
said  he. 

"  It's  me,  help  me  down,  daddy,  do,  I'm 
tired,"  said  Little  Wolf,  in  feeble  tones. 
"O,lamb,  O,  honey,  O,  pet,  is  it  you?"  ex- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  31 

claimed  the  old  dotard,  trembling  with  appre 
hension.  "  '  Tween  you  and  me,  what  has 
happened  to  the  darling  ?" 

"  O,  nothing,  daddy,  only  I  saw  Bloody 
Jim,  and  I'm  afraid  there's  more'  of  them." 

"  O,  my  Lord,  did  you  ?  O,  my  Lord,  the 
men  are  down  to  the  brewery.  O,  my, 
'tween  you  and  me,  what  shall  we  do  ?" 

Perceiving  the  old  man's  utter  incapacity 
to  the  exigency,  Edward  threw  his  rein  to 
the  Doctor,  and  immediately  bore  the  young 
lady  into  the  house.  The  old  man  followed, 
grasping  his  arm,  and  shouting  in  his  ear  at 
every  step,  "  '  Tween  you  and  me,  she  saw 
Bloody  Jim,  did  she  —  she  saw  him  —  did 
she  — ha!" 

"  In  the  ante-room,  they  were  met  by  a 
little  bustling  elderly  woman,  in  cap  and 
spectacles.  "  O,  daddy,  what  is  it  ?"  she  ex 
claimed. 

"  O,  mammy,"  he  cried,  releasing  Edward, 
and  laying  hold  on  his  wife, —  a  method  by 
which  he  invaribly  compelled  attention, 


32  LITTLE     WOLF. 

" '  tween  you  and  me,  she's  seen  Bloody  Jim 
she  has ;  she  says  there's  more  of  them,  she 
does." 

"  Why,  you,  old  fool,  why  don't  you  do 
something  ?"  said  the  woman,  shaking  him 
off  with  a  jerk.  "  Lock  the  doors,  shut  the 
windows,  call  Sorrel  Top  ;  blow  the  horn.  Is 
the  love  hurt  ?"  turning  anxiously  to  Little 
Wolf,  who  was  reclining  on  the  sofa. 

Mammy  had  hastily  snatched  up  the  small 
lamp,  with  which  the  apartment  was  dimly 
lighted,  and,  as  she  was  scrutinizing  her  pet, 
Edward  obtained  a  full  view  of  the  young 
lady's  features.  He  gave  a  sudden  start,  and 
the  blood  rushed  to  his  face.  Was  it  the 
lady  he  had  so  frequently  seen  on  Broadway, 
a  few  months  since  ?  he  asked  himself.  Yes, 
the  very  same  ;  that  countenance  was  not 
easily  forgotten.  Why,  she  was  a  New  York 
belle,  was  his  first  reflection.  Our  heroine's 
voice  was  still  low  and  agitated  as  she  replied, 
"  O,  no,  mammy,  not  hurt,  only  frightened. 
You  attend  to  the  gentlemen  and  the  house 


LITTLE  WOLF.  33 

I  can  take  care  of  myself.  I  feel  better 
now." 

"Well,  then,  rest  here,  love;  you  look 
pale.  Now  don't  move  ;  don't  get  excited  ; 
nobody  shall  hurt  the  pet,  I'll  tell  Sorrel 
Top  to  bring  you  a  glass  of  water." 

Amidst  the  slamming  of  doors  and  rattling 
of  windows,  mammy  was  heard  calling  at 
the  top  of  her  voice,  "  Sorrel  Top,  Sorrel, 
take  a  glass  of  water  to  the  parlor  ;"  and  to 
the  parlor  hastened  Sorrel  Top.  But  meet 
ing  daddy  at  the  door,  she  was  forcibly  de 
tained,  and  subjected  to  his  deafening  vocifer 
ations,  rendered  doubly  aggravating,  by  his 
using  the  ear  of  his  auditor  as  one  would  a 
speaking  trumpet.  The  burden  of  his  song, 
was  still  "  Bloody  Jim,  Bloody  Jim !" 

"  Who  cares  for  Bloody  Jim  ;"  said  Sorrel 
Top  angrily ;  "I  don't  care  for  him,  nor  none 
of  his  tribe.  Let  me  go,  you,  torment." 

Daddy  held  his  ground,  for  he  bore  in 
mind  firstly :  that  Sorrel  Top  was  his  fellow 
servant ;  secondly,  she  possessed  no '  great 
strength  of  muscle  or  nerve,  and,  thirdly  and 


34  LITTLE  WOLF 

lastly,  that  she  was  a  helpless  widow,  whom 
it  was  no  sin  to  call  Sorrel  Top,  because  of 
her  enormous  growth  of  reddish  hair. 

Edward  stepped  forward  to  relieve  Sorrel 
Top  of  the  glass  of  water,  which  she  was 
holding  at  arm's  length,  and  at  the  same 
tune  suggested  that  a  little  brandy  might  be 
beneficial  to  the  lady. 

"  Brandy !  Brandy !  did  you  say  ?"  sounded 
in  his  ear  like  a  knell,  and  he  was  caught  in 
the  old  man's  trap.  "  Laws  !  young  man, 
she'd  as  soon  drink  a  rattle  snake ;  she's 
down  on  brandy  ;  she's  down  on  the  hull  of 
that  infarnel  stuff.  Spirits  of  every  kind  is 
her  abhorrence. 

The  Doctor  was  highly  amused  at  his 
friend's  predicament,  and,  giving  him  a  sly 
wink,  remarked,  "  Beer  will  do  as  well,  Ned, 
and  it  is  perfectly  harmless,  you  know." 

The  Doctor's  turn  had  come,  In  a  still 
higher  stage  of  excitment,  daddy  pounced  up 
on  him.  "  Young  man,"  he  thundered,  "  beer 
harmless  ?  'tween  you  and  me,  lager  beer  is 


LITTLE    WOLF.  35 

the  devil's  pison,  slow  but  sure.  Don't  you 
believe  me  ?" 

"  Coax  him  away,  Sorrel  Top,"  said  Little 
Wolf,  rousing  herself. 

"  Come,  daddy,  Miss  DeWolf  wants  us  to 
be  off,  she  says  so,"  said  Sorrel  Top,  resolutely 
approaching  him. 

"  Me  go  !  O,  no,  'tween  you  an'  me,  I 
must  stay  and  protect  the  love."  The  Doc 
tor  was  instantly  released.  His  assailant  had 
embarked  in  a  new  enterprise.  But  Sorrel 
Top  was  firm. 

"  What  good  are  you  doing,  I  should  like 
to  know,"  she  said. 

"What  good  be  you  a  doing,  you,  hussy  ?" 
reiterated  daddy;  don't  you  hear  mammy 
blowing  the  horn  ;  '^ween  me  an'  you,  she's 
short  winded.  I'll  protect  the  pet." 

"  Never  mind  me,  daddy,"  said  the  young 
mistress,  now  quite  revived ;  "  if  you  ain't 
afraid,  you  had  better  assist  mammy." 

She  had  touched  her  would-be-protector  in 
a  sensitive  spot,  and  he  vehemently  ejaculated 


36  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  me  afraid ;  not  I.  'Tween  you  and  me, 
what  should  I  be  afraid  of,  I  would  like  to 
know?" 

"  Why,  of  Bloody  Jim." 

The  old  man  glanced  dubiously  towards 
the  door,  and  slid  out. 

Edward  eagerly  seized  the  propitious 
moment  to  formerly  introduce  himself  and 
companion,  to  their  fair  preserver.  Mutual 
explanation  followed,  and  Little  Wolf  cordi 
ally  welcomed  our  friends  to  Chimney  Rock. 
"  Father  is  at  the  brewery,"  she  said,  "  he'll 
be  in  directly;  the  horn  is  our  alarm  bell," 

"  Is  there  any  further  danger  to  be  appre 
hended  ?"  said  Edward  ;  "  I  think  you  killed 
them  both." 

Little  Wolf  suddenly  changed  countenance. 

Her  beautiful,  bewitching  face  had  been 
half  hidden  by  curls,  and  covered  with 
blushes,  from  the  moment  her  faintness  had 
passed  off,  and,  but  for  the  twinkle  of  those 
mischief-loving  brown  eyes,  and  certain  un 
mistakable  movements  of  her  slight  figure, 


LITTLE   WOLF.  37 

she  might  have  passed  for  meekness  itself. 
To  those,  therefore,  who  were  unacquainted 
with  her  peculiarly  nervous  and  impulsive 
temperament,  the  change  in  her  apperance 
was  rather  surprising.  With  one  sweep  of 
her  plump  little  hand,  she  tossed  back  the 
ringlets  from  her  brow,  and  frowningly  de 
clared  she  wished  she  had  killed  them.  "  I 
didn't  kill  them,  though,"  she  said,  "  or,  at 
all  events,  I  killed  but  one;  the  other, 
Bloody  Jim,  he's  called,  I  cannot  kill.  I've 
tried  it  before.  He's  my  evil  genius.  He 
carried  me  off  bodily,  once,  just  before  I 
went  away  to  school." 

"  Indeed,"  said  Edward,  deeply  interested, 
"  how  did  you  escape  ?" 

"  O,  a  gentleman  rescued  me." 

Edward  said  "  indeed  "  again,  but  his  tone 
was  slightly  changed.  He  did  not  feel  quite 
as  comfortable,  as  he  had  a  moment  before ; 
but  in  the  unpleasant  scene  which  imme 
diately  followed,  his  chagrin  passed  unno 
ticed. 


38  LITTLE     WOLF. 

The  sound  of  the  horn,  had  brought  to  the 
house,  all  the  loungers  at  the  brewery  who 
were  in  a  condition  to  render  aid,  and  some 
who  were  not.  Among  the  last  named  was 
Dr.  DeWolf,  who  staggered  to  the  parlor,  and 
boisterously  demanded,  "  What's  all  this  fuss 
about  ?" 

He  was  in  the  first  stage  of  drunkenness, 
and  consequently  more  difficult  to  manage 
than  he  would  have  been  an  hour  or  two 
later,  when  he  was  usually  brought  home  in 
a  helpless  condition. 

Little  Wolf  made  a  desperate  struggle  to 
appear  composed. 

"  O,  nothing,"  she  replied  with  the  slightest 
possible  quiver  in  her  voice,  "  I  saw  Bloody 
Jim,  that's  all." 

"  That's  enough,"  murmured  the  parent, 
sinking  into  a  chair.  The  very  mention  of 
that  name  seemed  to  have  completely  sobered 
him.  For,  bloated  and  inebriated  though  he 
was,  paternal  love  still  lived,  a  green  spot  in 
the  waste,  which  alcoholic  fires  had  not  yet 


LITTLE   WOLF.  39 

burned  out.  He  sat  for  a  moment  in  silence, 
pressing  his  hand  to  his  brow,  and  then,  with 
out  appearing  to  notice  his  guests,  abruptly 
left  the  room. 

His  daughter  hastily  excused  herself,  and 
followed  him.  Once  outside  the  door,  she 
drew  a  long  breath,  but  shill  choking  down 
her  mortified  feelings,  she  bounded  across 
the  adjoining  room,  and  meeting  mammy, 
paused  to  give  a  few  necessary  orders. 

"  O,  laws,  honey,"  objected  mammy,  "I  can't 
do  nothing,  and  I  can't  get  nobody  else  to  do 
nothing.  O,  laws,  honey,  what  if  Bloody 
Jim  should  come?  the  men  are  half  of  'em 
drunk;  we'll  all  go  to  destruction  together." 

"  O,  fudge,  mammy,  Bloody  Jim  is  shot ; 
there's  no  danger.  Come,  now,  you  do  as  I 
tell  you.  I  must  go  to  my  room  a  minute." 
and  she  flew  into  the  hall  and  up  the  long 
staircase,  as  if  she  had  wings,  leaving  mammy 
muttering  to  herself. 

"  Poor  motherless  child ;  sich  as  this  is 
enough  to  make  the  honey  stiddy ;  dear  me, 


40 


LITTLE  WOLF. 


there's  no  stiddying  her  —  clean  gone  mad,  I 
declare. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MORE  TROUBLES  —  WHO  WAS  BLOODY  JlM 
—  HlS  ATTEMPT  AT  KIDNAPPING  LlTTLE 
WOLF  —  THE  CAUSE  OF  HIS  HATRED  AND 
OF  THE  TERROR  HE  INSPIRED. 

UITE  like  a  little  fury,  Little  Wolf 
burst  into  her  own  private  apartment. 
Locking  the  door,  she  stopped  suddenly 
and  stamped,  in  a  paroxism  of  grief  and 
vexation. 

"  A  drunkard's  child !"  she  said  scornfully 
"Disgrace  !  —  I  hate  everybody !  —  I  wish  I'd 
shot  myself  ! — I  wish  I  was  dead !  —  I  wish 
father  —  "  she  did  not  finish  the  sentence ;  a 
loud  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  her. 


42  LITTLE    WOLF. 

"  Who's  there  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Me,"  said  Sorrel  Top. 

"  Go  away,"  said  her  young  mistress,  im 
peratively. 

"  Mammy  sent  me,"  said  Sorrel  Top,  "  the 
Doctor  is  dying." 

"  O,  God  !"  exclaimed  Little  Wolf,  in  an 
agony,  "  I  have  got  my  wish." 

Trembling  violently,  she  descended  to  the 
parlor  and  found  her  father  stretched  out  on 
the  sofa  in  an  apoplectic  fit.  Wild  and  reck 
less  as  her  words  had  been,  Little  Wolf 
would  not  for  the  world  have  seen  her  wishes 
fulfilled,  and  she  was  spared  the  remorse, 
which  under  the  peculiar  circumstances,  her 
father's  death  would  have  occasioned. 

Not  having  perceived  how  completely  her 
information  respecting  Bloody  Jim,  had 
brought  her  father  to  his  senses,  she  little 
dreamed  that,  while  she  was  giving  orders  to 
mammy,  he  was  in  another  part  of  the  house 
inspecting  the  fastenings  of  the  doors  and 
shutters.  Finding  all  secure,  he  returned  to 
the  parlor,  in  order  to  learn  the  particulars  of 


LITTLE  WOLF.  43 

her  meeting  with  the  being,  whose  very  name 
had  created  snch  terror  and  dismay  through 
out  the  household.  Observing  young  Sher 
man  and  Dr.  Goodrich,  he  attempted  to 
address  them,  but  suddenly  lost  the  power  of 
speech. 

It  was  many  hours  before  Dr.  Goodrich 
dared  give  any  encouragement  of  his  recovery 
to  his  almost  distracted  daughter.  All  night 
long,  she  watched,  with  the  young  physician 
and  Edward,  by  his  bedside. 

Daddy  and  others,  kept  a  bright  look  out 
for  the  enemy ;  but  he  had  been  too  badly 
wounded,  to  attempt  any  further  violence 
that  night. 

For  reasons  unknown  to  any  except  the 
parties  concerned,  Dr.  DeWolf  had,  in  the 
person  of  Bloody  Jim,  a  revengeful  and 
deadly  enemy.  He  belonged  to  the  Red 
River  half-breeds.  Several  years  before, 
while  a  company  of  his  people  were  encamped 
in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Paul,  on  the  upper  Mis 
sissippi,  for  the  purpose  of  trafficking  with 


44  LITTLE  WOLF 

the  whites,  Dr.  DeWolf  had  paid  them  a 
chance  visit. 

As  some  alleviation  to  the  insupportable 
loneliness,  which  the  recent  death  of  his  wife 
occasioned,  he  accepted  the  invitation,  of  his 
friend  and  financial  adviser,  Squire  Tinknor, 
to  spend  a  few  weeks  with  him,  in  the  place 
above  mentioned.  This  friend,  was  unfortu 
nately,  for  a  man  of  the  Doctor's  irregular 
habits,  wealthy,  wild  and  dissipated.  To 
gether  they  sought  out  and  visited  every 
place  of  amusement.  Returning  in  com 
pany,  from  a  horse  race,  one  pleasant  after 
noon,  they  came  in  sight  of  the  tented  vil 
lage,  occupied  by  this  denii-savage  people. 
The  novelty  attracted  the  Doctor's  attention 
and  he  insisted  on  alighting.  "  I  must  see 
what  they've  got  in  there,"  he  said,  pointing 
towards  a  tent  from  which  the  sound  of  mu 
sic  was  heard. 

Peeping  slyly  through  a  crack  hi  the  can 
vas,  he  saw  the  music-maker,  a  young  girl, 
carelessly  drawing  a  bow  across  the  strings  of 
a  dilapitated  violin,  while  her  own  very  sweet 


LITTLE  WOLF.  45 

voice,  dropped  out  a  gay  stanza,  in  broken 
English.  She  was  alone ;  so  the  Doctor 
boldly  lifted  the  door  and  went  in.  Five, 
ten  and  fifteen  minutes,  his  companion  impa 
tiently  awaited  his  appearance,  and  at  length, 
seriously  disturbed  at  his  absence,  he  shouted 
his  name. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  Doctor  from  within, 
"  I'm  coming." 

"  What  detained  you  so  deuced  long," 
said  his  friend,  when  they  were  again  on 
their  way. 

"  O,  playing  the  agreeable  to  a  little  fool, 
who  was  sawing  away  on  a  greasy  fiddle," 
said  the  recent  widower  of  forty-five,  or 
more.  He  was  careful  not  to  mention  that 
the  "  little  fool,"  was  beautifully  formed, 
with  ruddy  cheeks,  with  dark,  loving  eyes 
and,  being  rather  handsome  himself,  he 
had  conceived  the  idea  of  captivating  her 
silly  heart.  The  story  of  the  "Spider  and 
the  fly,"  fitly  illustrates  the  means  by  which 
his  purpose  was  afterwards  accomplished. 

His  inamorata  had  innocently/informed  him 


46  LITTLE   WOLF. 

that  her  protector,  "  brother  Jim,"  spent  the 
most  of  his  time  in  the  city,  and  the  Doctor 
soon  discovered  that  her  savage  looking  rela 
tive  frequently  drank  to  excess.  Under  such 
favorable  circumstances  it  required  but  little 
management  to  elude  his  vigilance.  But, 
after  the  mischief  was  done,  it  was  not  so 
easy  to  escape  a  brother's  revenge  ;  especially 
as  that  brother's  naturally  ferocious  nature 
had  already  acquired  him  the  title  of  "  Bloody 
Jim." 

Not  many  months  after  the  Doctor  had 
returned  home,  his  punishment  began.  He 
had  just  gone  to  the  brewery  to  spend  the 

evening,  when  his  little  daughter  came  run 
ning  in. 

"  O,  papa,"  she  exclaimed,  panting  for 
breath,  "  I  met  such  a  great  tall  man  out 
here  —  he  wasn't  an  Injin  —  he  talked  a  little 
like  one,  though.  He  had  on  a  blue  coat 
with  bright  buttons,  and  he  had  such  awful 
eyes  ;  O,  dear !" 

"  What  did  he  say,  daughter  ?"  said  the 
Doctor,  catching  up  his  child,  and  pressing 
her  to  his  heart. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  4r 

*'  O,  he  said,  'what  name  ?'  I  told  him  papa 
always  called  me  daughter,  mamma  used  to 
call  me  Little  Wolf,  and  daddy  and  mammj 
called  me  honey,  pet,  dove,  love,  and  every 
thing,  I  wish  I  had  a  regular  name,  papa  — 
I  mean  to  give  orders  to  be  called  Little  Wolf, 
for  mamma  knew  best,  and  she  called  me  so." 

"Little  Wolf  it  shall  be,"  said  obedient 
papa.  "  But  what  next  did  the  man  say  ?" 

"  O,  he  said  '  papa's  name.'  I  said  Dr.  De- 
Wolf  ;  than  he  made  such  a  coarse  noise  in 
his  throat,  just  like  an  Injin ;  I  thought  he 
wanted  to  get  me,  so  I  ran  in  here,  quick." 

Dr.  DeWolf  groaned  in  bitterness  of  spirit. 
He  thought  of  Bloody  Jim,  and  was  tortured 
with  vague  fears  of  what  might  be.  He  did 
not  spend  that  evening  in  drinking  at  the 
brewery.  But  it  was  the  last  night  his  child 
knew  a  father's  care.  After  that,  he  did 
nothing  but  drink,  drink.  He  had  drank 
before,  in  spite  of  the  pleadings  of  his  wife, 
whom  his  conduct  had  brought  to  a  prema 
ture  grave,  and,  as  trouble  increased,  he 
drank  yet  the  more. 


48  LITTLE  WOLF. 

From  the  moment  Bloody  Jim  saw  tha 
Doctor's  beautiful  child,  he  worked  to  gain 
possession  of  her  and  spared  her  father's  life 
for  a  tune.  In  pursuance  of  his  plans  he  re 
turned  to  the  Red  River  country  and  gath 
ered  about  him  a  set  of  lawless  wretches, 
whom  he  had  before  led  on  to  deeds  of  vio 
lence,  and  brought  them  to  Chimney  Rock. 
The  gang  secreted  themselves  among  the 
towering  bluffs  in  the  vicinity,  and,  while 
watching  for  their  prey,  robbed  all  who  came 
in  their  way.  The  frequent  outrages  com 
mitted  on  travellers,  spread  alarm  throughout 
the  surrounding  country,  and  officers  of  jus 
tice  were  dispatched  in  search  of  the  perpet 
rators.  In  this  state  of  affairs,  Bloody  Jim, 
resolved  at  once  to  make  a  bold  attempt  to 
capture  the  coveted  prize,  and  quit  the 
country.  Selecting  for  his  purpose,  the  hour 
when  the  Doctor  was  in  the  habit  of  leaving 
home  for  the  brewery,  he  lurked  in  ambush, 
until  Little  Wolf,  who  usually  accompanied 
her  father  the  most  of  the  way,  should  re 
turn  home  alone,  and,  when  the  opportunity 


LITTLE    WOLF.  49 

came,  seized  suddenly  upon  her,  and,  in  spite 
of  her  struggles,  bore  her  away  towards  the 
river.  Leaping  into  a  canoe,  he  threatened 
her  with  instant  death,  if  she  made  the 
slightest  resistance,  and  pushed  out  for  the 
opposite  shore.  It  was  quite  dusk  when 
they  landed  on  the  other  side.  The  poor 
frightened  child,  now  for  the  first  time  broke 
the  silence.  She  begged  to  be  taken  home 
again ;  but  her  captor  only  laughed  horribly. 
"  I  Bloody  Jim,"  said  he  ;  "  how  you  like  to 
be  my  wife  ?" 

"  O,  take  me  home,  I'm  only  a  little  girl," 
pleaded  Little  Wolf  with  quivering  lip. 

"  You  be  big,  by  and  by." 

As  he  said  this,  an  unseen  hand  laid  him 
senseless  on  the  beach.  The  same  individual 
who  dealt  the  blow,  returned  the  child  safely 
to  her  home,  and  leaving  her  to  tell  her  own 
story,  disappeared. 

A  chill  of  horror  crept  over  the  Doctor, 
when  mammy,  the  next  morning,  related  to 
him,  her  pet's  adventure.  He  wrote  imme 
diately  to  his  friend,  Squire  Tinknor,  for 


50  LITTLE  WOLF. 

advice.  "  Send  the  child  away  to  boarding 
school,"  was  the  counsel  given,  and  forth 
with,  the  Doctor  acted  upon  it. 

Four  years  at  school,  and  a  winter  of  fash 
ionable  life  in  New  York,  transformed  the 
little  miss  into  an  accomplished  young  lady. 

When  about  to  return  home,  she  purchased 
a  superb  brace  of  pistols.  At  her  request, 
Mr.  Marston,  the  brother  of  the  young  lady 
whose  hospitality  she  had  shared,  selected 
them  for  her.  As  he  was  one  of  those  quiet, 
fatherly  sort  of  young  men,  who  naturally 
win  the  confidence,  if  not  the  love,  of  young 
ladies,  she  felt  no  hesitancy  in  opening  her 
heart  to  him,  on  the  subject  of  the  pistols. 
She  also  related  to  him  the  story  of  her  won 
derful  escape  from  Bloody  Jim,  and  positively 
declared  that  if  he  ever  came  near  her  again, 
she  intended  to  shoot  him  through  the  heart. 

"  But  how  would  you  reward  the  person 
who  rescued  you,"  said  Mr.  Marston,  eagerly. 

"  O,  I'd  do  anything  in  the  world  for  him," 
she  replied,  "  if  I  only  knew  who  he  was." 

"  Would  you  love  him  ?" 


LITTLE  WOLF.  51 

"  Yes,  I'd  love  him." 

Just  then  the  peculiar  expression  of  her 
sober  friend's  face  startled  her,  and  she 
added,  with  one  of  her  merry  laughs,  "  pro 
vided  he  was  not  a  poky  old  bachelor." 

The  bachelor  perceiving  that  his  time  had 
not  yet  come,  allowed  the  little  would-be 
Amazon  to  depart,  without  again  making  the 
slightest  approach  to  the  subject  nearest  his 
heart. 

Her  skill  in  the  use  of  the  silver-mounted 
weapons,  excited  great  admiration  in  the 
breast  of  daddy,  whom  she  usually  allowed 
to  assist  in  setting  up  a  target,  because  she 
could  not  well  get  rid  of  him.  His  eulogies 
were,  on  the  whole,  rather  gratifying  to  her 
vanity,  for  before  his  sight  failed  him,  he  had 
been  no  mean  marksman. 

Entirely  unconscious  of  the  dangerous  re 
sistance  to  be  met,  Bloody  Jim  made  his 
second  attempt  on  Little  Wolfs  freedom. 
She  was  returning  from  a  long  tedious  walk, 
among  the  bluffs,  at  the  close  of  a  Spring 
day ;  her  revolvers  hid  away  in  the  holders, 


52  LITTLE   WOLF. 

beneath  her  mantle,  when  suddenly,  her 
enemy  appeared  in  her  path.  Little  Wolf 
stood  for  a  moment  as  if  spell-bound.  Again 
she  heard  that  horrid  guttural  laugh  and  saw 
those  fiendish  black  eyes.  "  I  got  you  now," 
was  all  he  had  time  to  say,  before  a  ball  from 
her  pistol  pierced  him.  She  saw  him  fall, 
and  fled.  As  nothing  more  was  heard  from 
him,  or  his  men,  it  was  generally  supposed 
that  Little  Wolf  had  put  an  end  to  his  life. 

Like  one  risen  from  the  dead,  he  appeared 
to  her  in  his  attack  upon  Dr.  Goodrich  and 
Edward  Sherman,  at  the  Pass.  She  knew  he 
must  have  gone  there  to  watch  for  her,  and 
in  saving  others,  she  had  also  saved  herself. 


CHAPTER  V. 


DR.  GOODRICH  LEAVES  WITH  DADDY  AS 
GUIDE  —  DADDY'S  WAR-LIKE  PREPARA 
TIONS —  HlS  TESTIMONY  TO  THE  CURSE 
OF  STRONG  DRINK  —  WHAT  THEY  DIS 
COVERED  ON  THEIR  WAY  TO  THE  VlL- 
LAGE. 

ORNING  dawned  fresh  and  beau- 
tiful.  Dr.  DeWolf  s  symptoms  con- 
tinued  favorable.  Refreshed  and 
re-invigorated,  after  an  hour's  repose,  the 
watchers  gathered  around  the  breakfast  table 
with  cheerful  faces.  Too  young  and  mirth 
ful  to  be  very  seriously  affected,  for  any 
great  length  of  time,  by  what  had  occured, 
Little  Wolf  joined  with  her  guests  in  sipping 


64  LITTLE  WOLF. 

coffee,  and  talking  over  the  events  of  the 
proceeding  evening  with  becoming  composure. 

During  the  meal,  she  slipped  out  to  peep 
into  the  invalid's  apartment.  As  she  flitted 
from  the  room,  the  Doctor  turned  to  Edward, 
who  was  gazing  after  her  with  an  expression 
of  intense  admiration.  "  Ah,  Ned,"  said  he 
"  your  tune  has  come." 

"  Fact,  Doctor,  I  do  feel  queer.  The  little 
witch  is  too  much  for  me." 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?"  said  the  Doc 
tor,  with  a  professional  nod. 

"  O,  leave  me  here  to-day,  Doctor.  Posi 
tively,  I  can't  go  back  with  you." 

"  What,  Ned,  allow  me  to  fight  my  way 
alone,  through  a  band  of  desperadoes  ?"  said 
the  Doctor,  with  feigned  trepidation. 

"  Pshaw,  Doctor  !  there's  no  danger ;  their 
chief  is  dead,  or  wounded,  and  they've  fled 
long  before  this  time." 

Their  young  hostess  broke  in  upon  the 
conference  with  a  smiling  face.  "  Papa  is 
resting  very  quietly,"  she  said ;  "  but  I  fear 
a  return  of  his  complaint.  I  shall  feel  anx- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  55 

ious  'till  you  return,  Doctor,  if,  indeed,  you 
still  think  you  must  go  "back  this  morning. 
Could  not  Mr.  Sherman  go  for  you  ?  Daddy 
might  show  him  the  way. 

Edward  cast  an  imploring  look  towards 
the  Doctor,  who  magnanimously  sacrificed 
his  own  ease  to  the  wishes  of  his  friend. 
"  It  will  be  necessary,  for  me  to  go  myself," 
he  replied  ;  "  but  give  yourself  no  uneasei- 
ness,  Miss  DeWolf.  I  do  not  think  your 
father  will  have  a  second  attack.  I  will 
accept  your  offer  of  a  guide,  and,  with  your 
permission  will  leave  my  friend,  Mr.  Sher 
man,  as  my  proxy." 

There  was  a  slight  dash  of  malice  in  the 
Doctor's  last  words,  which  Edward  was  too 
grateful  to  notice. 

When  the  hour  for  setting  out  arrived, 
daddy  appeared,  armed  and  equipped,  for 
what  his  fears  had  magnified  into  an  exceed 
ingly  perilous  journey.  At  sight  him,  of  Lit 
tle  Wolf  burst  into  an  uncontrollable  fit  of 
laughter.  His  little,  insignificant  figure  was 
girded  by  .an  old  leathern  belt,  which  was 


56  LITTLE  WOLF. 

literally  stuck  full,  of  such  weapons  as  lie 
could  hastily  pick  up,  about  the  premises. 

"  Bless  me  !  what  do  you  expect  to  do  with 
that  outlandish  outfit  ?"  said  his  young  mis 
tress,  when  she  was  able  to  speak. 

"  Why  'fend  myself,  to  be  sure,"  replied 
the  old  man  indignantly. 

"  O,  fie,  daddy,"  said  she  coaxingly ;  take 
off  that  heavy  old  belt.  Why  it  makes  you 
look  so,  and  sweat  so,  too.  Come,  now,  if 
you  will,  I'll  lend  you  one  of  my  pistols." 

The  old  man's  rising  temper  was  quite 
mollified,  at  the  proposal  of  Little  Wolf ;  for 
to  sport  those  pistols,  had  been  an  honor,  to 
which  he  had  hitherto  aspired  in  vain. 

"  Well,  now,  I'll  explain  the  case,  honey," 
said  he,  attempting  to  approach  her ;  "  'tween 
you  and  me — " 

"  O,  no,  no,"  said  Little  Wolf,  putting  her 
fingers  to  her  ears,  and  slipping  our  of  his 
way. 

"  Bless  her  heart,"  said  daddy,  turning  to 
the  Doctor  ;  "  that's  just  the  way  she  used  to 
run  away  from  me,  when  she  was  a  little  gal. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  57 

'Tween  you  and  me,  though,  I  was  only  go 
ing  to  tell  her,  how  it  wasn't  the  heft  of  this 
ere  belt,  that  made  me  sweat  so.  It  was 
sharpening  these  ere,  on  the  old  grindstone," 
and  he  drew  forth  a  couple  of  large  butcher 
knives,  which  glistened  brightly  in  the  sun 
beams. 

"  O,  those  knives  are  just  what  mammy 
wants  in  the  kitchen ;  I  heard  her  say  so," 
said  Little  Wolf  appearing  on  the  piazza 
with  the  pistols. 

It  required  a  vast  amount  of  coaxing  to 
bring  the  old  man  to  terms,  but  finally  a  com 
promise  was  effected,  and  stowing  a  knife 
away  in  his  coat  pocket,  he  set  out  with  one 
of  the  pistols,  the  Doctor  being  armed  with 
the  other. 

Instead  of  the  short  cut  of  the  night  be 
fore,  the  Doctor  chose  the  more  circuitous 
route  through  the  village;  if  a  cluster  of 
dilapidated  houses  might  be  dignified  by  that 
name.  Dr.  DeWolf's  old  brown  residence, 
situated  on  a  high  hill,  with  its  piazza  stretch 
ing  across  the  front,  was  the  most  imposing 


58  LITTLE  WOLF. 

edifice  to  be  seen.  The  remaining  comfort 
less  dwellings,  mostly  log  cabins,  and  board 
shanties,  with  their  broken  windows  and  rag 
ged  inmates,  who  flocked  out  to  gaze  at  the 
strangers,  presented  an  appearance  desolate 
in  the  extreme.  Even  the  shadow  cast  by 
old  Chimney  Rock,  after  which  the  place  was 
named,  added  a  darker  aspect  to  the  scene. 
Chimney  Rock  was  an  irregular  old  bluff, 
standing  like  a  grim  old  castle  by  the  river- 
side,  its  chimney-like  summit,  rocky  and  bare, 
the  most  conspicuous  object  in  the  land 
scape.  « 

"  What  a  God-forsaken  place,"  exclaimed 
the  doctor,  involuntarily. 

"  "Tis  so,  this  ere  is  a  broke-down,  one- 
horse  concern,  and  that  ain't  the  wust  on't, 
mither,"  said  his  companion;  who  was  al 
most  bursting  with  communicativeness. 

"  Well,  what  is  the  worst  of  it  ?"  inquired 
the  Doctor,  as  much  to  gratify  the  old  man's 
weakness,  as  to  satisfy  his  own  curiosity. 

"  Why,  Doctor,  'tween  you  an'  me,  there's 
awful  doin's  here.  Ye  see,  sence  that  saloon 


LITTLE    WOLF.  59 

was  sot  up  in  one  end  of  the  old  brewery,  all 
the  men  here  have  got  to  drinking,  and  'tis 
astonishing  how  men  will  act,  when  they  git 
soaked  in  liquor.  I've  heered  temperance 
lecturers  tell  stories  that  would  make  your 
har  stand  on  ind;  that  was  when  I  was 
young,  and  there  was  a  great  excitement  on 
the  subject.  I  signed  the  pledge  then,  and  I 
never  broke  my  word  on  no  account,  or  I  ex 
pect  I  should  be  as  bad  as  the  rest  of  them 
here.  I've  had  to  stand  out  agin  hard  per 
suasions.  They've  tried  to  git  me  to  take  a 
glass  of  lager ;  sez  they,  '  lager  won't  hurt 
nobody ;'  sez  I,  '  it's  hurt  you.'  You  see,  it 
don't  require  no  argument,  I  can  pint  'em 
to  facts.  Now,  there's  Prime  Hawley ;  when 
he  come  here  to  live,  he  was  a  fine,  stiddy 
young  man  ;  his  wife  was  as'pretty  as  a  rose, 
and  as  happy  as  a  lark.  Somehow,  Prune 
got  to  going  to  that  saloon.  Well,  I  gin  him 
fair  waning.  Sez  I,  '  Prune,  they'll  get  the 
halter  on  ye,  if  ye  go  there  ;'  sez  he  '  I  guess 
not,  a  glass  of  lager  won't  hurt  nobody ;' 
but  now,  sure  as  fate,  he's  the  worst  of  'em 


60  LITTLE  WOLF. 

all.  He's  whipped  and  frightened  his  putty 
wife  most  to  death,  and  she's  got  sickly  now. 
Some  say  he's  even  jined  Bloody  Jim's  gang. 
'Tween— " 

"  Hark  !"  said  the  Doctor,  suddenly  inter 
rupting  the  narrator. 

Deep,  agonizing  groans  were  distinctly 
heard  in  the  direction  of  the  Pass,  which  they 
were  nearing. 

"  O,  murder,  what's  that  ?"  shouted 
daddy ;  and  he  wheeled  his  horse  about  and 
gallopped  homeward. 

"  Stop,  come  back  here,"  shouted  the  Doc 
tor,  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

The  old  man  reluctantly  obeyed.  Ap 
proaching  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Doc 
tor,  he  motioned  that  individual  towards  him. 
"  O,  Doctor,  'tVont  do  fur  to  go  furder," 
said  he ;  "  'tween  you  and  me,  I've  heern 
say,  that's  jist  the  way  them  robbers  do, 
when  they  want  to  ketch  anybody.  There 
goes  that  yell  agin.  O,  that  ere  is  awful ; 
we'll  get  ketched ;  it  won't  do  fur  to  stay 
here." 


LITTLE  WOLF.  61 

Exasperated  beyond  endurance  at  the  cow 
ardice  of  his  guide,  the  Doctor  bade  him  re 
main  where  he  was,  while  he  went  forward 
to  reconnoitre.  A  short  ride  round  the  point 
of  the  bluff  brought  him  directly  upon  the 
bleeding  form  of  the  desperado,  who  had 
attacked  him  the  proceeding  evening.  Hail 
ing  daddy,  he  alighted  and  approached  the 
apparently  dying  man. 

"  Prune  Hawley,  by  gol !"  exclaimed  dad 
dy,  as  he  came  up.  "  Why,  Prune,"  said  he, 
hopping  briskly  down  from  his  saddle  ;  "twixt 
you  and  me,  how  did  you  get  in  this  ere 
fix?" 

"  Oh !  oh !"  groaned  Prune,  "take  me 
home ;  I'm  dying." 

"•  I'll  take  him  home  if  you  say  so,  Doctor," 
said  daddy,  "  his  heft  is  nothing,  and  it's  near 

by." 

"  Very  well,  I'll  follow  with  the  horses." 
"  I  say,  Prime,"    said  the  old  man,  when 
they  had  nearly  reached  the  home  of  the 
sufferer,  "  tween  you  and  me,  aint  had  noth- 
in'  to  do  with  Bloody  Jim,  have  you !" 


62  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  Yes,  I  have  ;  curse  him  !" 

"  He  ain't  nowhere  'bout  here  now,  is 
he?" 

"  I  expect  not,  oh  !  oh  !  I  wish  he  was  suf 
fering  as  I  am." 

"  O,  Miss  Hawley,  'tween  you  an'  .  me, 
here's  a  sore  trial  fur  you,"  said  daddy  to  a 
pale-faced,  delicate  looking  woman,  who  met 
him  at  the  cabin  door  with  looks  of  alarm. 

Mrs.  Hawley  trembled  violently,  and  her 
pale  face  grew  a  shade  paler,  but  she  asked 
no  questions,  as  she  led  the  way  to  the  bed. 
Her  silence,  at  first,  impressed  the  Doctor 
with  the  idea  that  she  was  accessory  to  her 
husband's  guilt,  and  he  watched  her  closely. 
No  tear  dimmed  her  eye,  no  sigh  escaped 
her,  yet  she  seemed  painfully  alive  to  the 
agony  which  her  miserable  husband  endured, 
while  the  Doctor  was  dressing  his  wound. 

"  Do  you  think  he  will  live,  Doctor  ?"  she 
enquired  in  a  sort  of  hopeless,  melancholy 
tone,  as  Dr.  Goodrich  was  about  to  leave. 

"  It  is  an  exceedingly  critical  case,"  replied 
the  Doctor,  "  he  may  possibly  recover." 


LITTLE   WOLF.  63 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,"  said  daddy,  coming 
between  them,  "  I'd  like  to  know  how  Prime 
got  that  shot  ?" 

Poor  Prune  shook  his  head  imploringly 
towards  the  Doctor,  who  went  to  him,  and 
quieted  his  apprehensions  in  a  few  whispered 
words.  "  I  don't  care,"  said  Prime,  "  only 
it  would  kill  her  to  know  it." 

As  they  were  passing  the  old  brewery, 
when  they  were  again  on  their  way,  a  man 
came  out  and  accosted  them.  "  Hello,  old 
Roarer,"  said  he,  addressing  daddy,  "  how  is 
Dr.  DeWolf,  this  morning" 

The  old  man  straightened  himself  in  his 
saddle,  and  preserved  a  dignified  silence. 

With  an  oath,  the  man  commanded  him  to. 
speak,  but  daddy  rode  calmly  on  ;  his  indig* 
nation  got  the  better  of  his  cautiousness. 

"I'll  pound  you  to  a  jelly,"  shouted  the 
man  after  him, 

"  I'll  risk  it,"  said  daddy  addressing  the 
Doctor. 

Now  daddy  was  not  really  a  natural  cow 
ard.  But  it  cannot  be  denied  that  old  age 


,<" 

w 


64  LITTLE  WOLF. 

and  extreme  cautionsness  had  greatly  moder 
ated  the  courage  which  he  possessed  in  his 
youth.  "  'Tween  you  and  me,"  he  continued, 
"that  Hank  Glutter  is  the  meanest  critter 
that  ever  trod  shoe-leather.  I've  heern  poor 
Mrs.  Ha wley  plead  with  him  not  to  sell  Prime 
liquor,  and  I've  heern  him  order  her  out  of 
the  saloon,  and  I've  follered  her  hum,  to  see 
how  she  took  it.  Well,  it  was  dreadful  to 
see  her  goings  on.  She'd  bounce  on  to  the 
bed  and  groan  there,  then  she'd  bounce  up 
and  throw  herself  on  the  floor  and  groan 
there,  and  moan  and  holler  right  out ;  O,  it 
seemed  'zif  she  never  would  get  cool.  She'd 
walk  the  floor,  and  wring  her  hands  and  take 
on  awful.  Them  was  the  times  when  she 
as  young  and  was  full  of  grit  —  I've  been 
watching  her  lately,  and  she's  acted  rather 
different.  Ye  see  she  was  down  to  the 
brewery  night  afore  last,  I  seen  her  coming 
hum  and  I  knowed  she  was  dreadful  riled 
about  something,  so  I  kept  my  eyes  on  her  ; 
Lord  !  if  she  didn't  drop,  right  down  on  her 
knees  afore  her  bed,  and  let  off  all  her  feel- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  65 

ins  in  a  wonderful  strange  way.  Seems  'zif 
she  just  talked  to  the  Lord.  When  she  riz 
up,  she  looked  kinder  quiet  and  resigned 
like,  just  as  she  did  to-day ;  sez  I  to  myself, 
if  there's  a  God  in  heaven,  he's  heern  that 
woman.  I  expected  he  would  send  fire  down 
and  burn  that  old  brewery  that  very  night, 
but  there  it  stands  and  that .  old  cuss,  that 
hollered  after  me,  is  alive  yet.  'Tween  you 
and  me,  them  things  is  kinder  strange,  now 
aint  they,  Doctor  ?" 

"Rather  strange,"  replied  the  Doctor 
dryly. 

After  riding  a  few  moments  in  silence, 
daddy  ventured  to  make  still  another  attempt 
to  open  a  conversation.  "  'Tween  you  and 
me,  Doctor,  was  you  acquainted  with  Miss 
Sherman  ?" 

"  What  Miss  Sherman  ?"  said  the  Doctor 
in  surprise. 

"  Why,  young  Edward's  mother,  down  in 
the  old  Bay  State.  I  ain't  heern  nothin' 
from  the  folks  down  thar  since  I  left.  I 
seed  young  Edward  didn't  know  me,  but  I've 


66  LITTLE  WOLF. 

dandled  him  on  my  knee  many  a  time,  when 
he  was  a  leetle  shaver.  'Tween  you  and  me 
there  was  a  gal  working  at  Judge  Sherman's 
that  I  had  a  liking  fur,  so  Sundays,  I  used  to 
go  down  thar  sparking,  I'd  kinder  like  to 
know  if  that  gal's  spliced  yet." 

"  What  was  her  name  ?" 

"  Her  name  was  Miss  Orrecta  Lippincott ; 
they  generally  called  her  Recta,  in  the 
Judge's  family." 

"  Recta  is  single  yet,  I  saw  her  just  before 
we  left ;  but  why  did'nt  you  marry  her  ?" 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  Doctor,  I  was  a  fool, 
I've  allers  felt  a  kinder  hankering  after  her. 
I  can't  get  over  them  fust  feelings  I  had,  to 
this  ere  day.  Is  she  handsome  yit,  Doctor  ?" 

"  Not  very." 

"  Well,  I  used  to  tell  her  if  she  got  old 
and  grey,  it  wouldn't  make  no  difference  in 
my  feelins,"  said  the  old  man,  rubbing  his 
great,  coarse  hand  across  his  eyes. 

"  'Tain't  natur,"  he  began  after  a  moment's 
pause,  "  to  keep  our  feelings  she.t  in  allers. 
Now,  mammy  is  chuck  full  of  spunk  since 


LITTLE  WOLF.  67 

she's  married  me,  so  I  aint  let  on  to  nobody. 
Ye  see,  if  she  got  hold  on't,  she'd  never  give 
me  a  minute's  peace." 

"  Well,  why  didn't  you  marry  Miss  Lippin- 
cott  ?" 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  Doctor,  I  got  it  in 
to  my  head  that  she  liked  Sam  Brown.  Ye 
see,  there  was  a  man  told  me  that  he  seed 
him  and  her  kiss,  right  afore  Judge  Sherman's 
gate.  Wall,  this  feller  was  allers  puttin'  me 
up  to  think  that  Orrecta  was  flirty  like,  and 
I  was  jest  fool  enough  to  believe  him,  so  I 
jest  packed  up  my  duds  and  cum  out  West, 
with  Dr.  DeWolf.  He'd  been  teasing  me  to 
cum  'long  with  him  fur  some  time.  Ye  see, 
I'd  allers  been  his  gardener,  ever  since  he 
was  married.  Miss  DeWolf  that's  dead  now, 
she  sot  heaps  by  me.  '  Now,  Philip,'  says 
she  —  ye  see  my  real  name  is  Philip  Roarer 
— '  we  can't  get  'long  without  you,  fur  to 
milk  the  cow  and  make  the  garden'.  I  could 
see  that  her  eyes  was  a  leetle  watery  like, 
and  I  knew  that  she  hated  to  cum  off  alone, 
with  the  Doctor,  'cause  sometimes  when  he 


68  LITTLE  WOLF. 

got  a  leetle  tight,  he  didn't  treat  her  nun  too 
well.  But  the  Doctor  got  'long  fust  rate, 
when  he  fust  got  here  ;  he  didn't  drink  much 
and  he  made  heaps  of  money,  he  and  a  crony 
of  hisn,  named  Squire  Tinknor.  He  lives  in 
St.  Paul  now,  and  does  the  Doctor's  business 
fur  him  yet.  Ye  see,  Squire  Tinknor  can 
drink  a  barrel  of  liquor  and  not  feel  it. 
but  the  Doctor  gets  crazy  enough,  on 
nothing  but  lager.  'Tween  you  an'  me, 
that  old  brewery  in  the  holler  has  played 
the  devil  with  the  Doctor.  I  told  Hank 
Glutter  how  it  would  be,  when  he  fust 
sot  up  the  saloon  in't.  Sez  I,  'Mr.  Glutter, 
I'd  rather  you'd  chop  this  ere  right  hand  of 
mine  right  off,  than  to  place  that  are  tempta 
tion  afore  Dr.  DeWolf.'  Sez  he, '  What's  the 
harm  of  a  leetle  beer  ?'  Sez  I,  '  Ain't  you  go- 
in'  to  sell  nothin'  else  ?'  Sez  he,  '  O,  I  may 
keep  a  few  liquors  jest  for  variety.'  Seems 
zif  I  should  sink  when  he  said  that  are,  but  I 
jest  felt  zif  I  couldn't  gin  up,  so  I  let  right 
into  him.  It  didn't  do  no  kinder  good 
though.  Sez  he,  '  If  I  don't  sell  it  somebody 


LITTLE  WOLF.  69 

else  will,  and  I  might  as  will  make  money  on 
it  as  anybody.'  Well,  the  long  and  short  of 
it  is,  Doctor,  he  has  got  rich  on't  and  now, 
'tween  you  and  me,  he's  kinder  hanging 
'round  the  honey,  but  I  guess  he'll  git  his 
walkin'  papers  afore  long ;  ye  see,  the  honey 
she's  alive,  every  inch  on  her-" 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  SALOON  KEEPER  —  COMFORTING  RE 
FLECTIONS  —  THE  UNWELCOME  CALL  — 
DIABOLICAL  PLOTTING. 

WEARING  vengeance  on  daddy,  who 
had  treated  him  with  such  unqualified 
contempt,  Hank  Glutter  entered  his 
saloon.  He  was  a  young  man  of  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  rather  below  medium  height. 
His  form  was  well  developed,  his  complexion 
light,  and  his  hair  curled  in  luxuriant  ringlets. 
He  was  exceedingly  vain  of  his  appearance, 
and,  when  in  good  humor,  caressed  his  whis 
kers  incessantly.  He  was  of  a  respectable 
family  and  his  education  was  liberal,  and  yet 


LITTLE   WOLF.  71 

he  was  nothing  more  than  a  smooth-tongued, 
hard-hearted,  revengeful  villain. 

He  had  aspired  to  Little  Wolf's  hand,  but, 
on  making  some  unmistakable  advances  to 
that  lady,  he  was  promptly  repelled. 

The  supreme  contempt  with  which  she 
invariably  treated  him  exasperated  him  to 
such  a  degree,  that  he  conceived  the  diaboli 
cal  pi-eject  of  placing  her  in  the  power  of 
Bloody  Jim,  with  whom  he  had  already  had 
some  secret  dea^ngs. 

At  his  suggestion,  Bloody  Jim  made  over 
tures  to  Prime  Hawley  to  assist  in  the  under 
taking.  Prime,  being  in  exceedingly  indigent 
circumstances,  could  not  resist  the  tempting 
reward  offered. 

The  plan  to  capture  Little  Wolf,  and  con 
vey  her  across  the  river,  in  her  own  skiff,  to 
a  point,  where,  having  in  mind  his  defeat  on 
a  former  occasion,  he  had  stationed  a  guard, 
was  well  laid,  but  miscarried,  as  we  have 
already  seen. 

Bloody  Jim  was  but  slightly  wounded,  and 
he  soon  recovered  sufficiently  to  seek  a  place 


72  LITTLE  WOLF. 

of  safety,  leaving  Prime  Hawley,  as  he  sup 
posed,  dead. 

Hank  Glutter  could  gather  no  satisfactory 
information  from  the  intoxicated  set,  who  that 
night  returned  from  Dr.  DeWolf  s,  and,  as 
we  have  seen,  daddy  was  disinclined  to  re 
lieve  his  suspense;  therefore, he  resolved  to 
go  in  person  to  the  Doctor's,  and  ascertain,  if 
possible,  the  precise  position  of  affairs. 

By  way  of  smoothing  his  ruffled  plumes, 
he  hastily  swallowed  a  stimulating  draught, 
and  very  soon  a  more  complacent  expression 
settled  upon  his  countenance. 

Approaching  a  large  mirror,  he  bestowed  a 
momentary  attention  upon  his  dress,  but 
lingered  lovingly  over  his  glossy  ringlets. 
"  Miss  DeWolf  was  a  fool  to  turn  the  cold 
shoulder  to  me,"  said  he  to  himself,  as  he 
gave  the  finishing  touch  to  his  soft  flaxen 
hair.  "I  wonder  if  Bloody  Jim  really  got 
her.  If  he  has,  wouldn't  she  be  glad  to  fly 
to  my  arms,  though." 

These  comforting  reflections  were  entirely 
dispelled,  when  a  few  moments  afterwards,  he 


LITTLE   WOLF.  73 

was  ushered  into  the  parlor  at  Dr.  DeWolf  s, 
and  in  utter  astonishment,  beheld  Little  Wolf 
on  apparently  intimate  terms  with  the  hand 
some  stranger.  She  was  holding  an  earnest 
conversation  with  Edward  concerning  her 
father,  and  did  not  at  first  notice  the  pres 
ence  of  the  intruder,  who  was,  by  this  time, 
heartily  wishing  himself  behind  his  bar  again. 
But,  contrary  to  his  expectations,  the  young 
lady  granted  him  a  gracious  reception,  and 
introducing  him  to  Mr.  Sherman,  almost  im 
mediately  excused  herself  to  attend  upon  the 
invalid. 

The  young  men  left  alone  entered  into 
conversation,  and,  so  well  did  Hank  Glutter 
conceal  his  true  character,  that  Edward  was 
quite  well  pleased  with  his  appearance,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  interview,  accepted  a 
polite  invitation  to  accompany  Hank  to  his 
saloon,  and  when  there,  was  easily  persuaded 
to  take  a  glass  of  lager  beer.  The  day  was 
hot  and  the  lager  of  the  finest  quality,  so 
before  he  left,  he  drank  several  glasses  more, 
and  while  thus  engaged,  confided  to  his  en- 


74  LITTLE  WOLF. 

tertainer  the  whole  story  of  his  adventure 
with  Bloody  Jim. 

"  But  what  became  of  the  men  who  were 
shot,"  said  Hank,  burning  with  impatience  to 
learn  the  fate  of  his  accomplices. 

"  O,  we  left  the  dead  to  bury  their  dead, 
Mr.  Glutter.  Miss  DeWolf  is  confident  there 
is  a  gang  of  the  ruffians.  I  intend  to  make 
it  my  business  to  look  after  them  a  little." 

"So  do  I,"  said  Hank,  and  as  soon  as  Mr. 
Sherman  was  gone,  he  proceeded  to  put  his 
dangerous  threat  into  execution,  by  calling 
upon  Mrs.  Hawley. 

"  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Hawley,"  said  he  in 
his  blandest  tone,  as  she  slowly  approached 
the  open  door,  in  answer  to  his  gentle  tap. 
"  Is  Prime  at  home  ?" 

He  was  about  to  enter,  but  Mrs.  Hawley 
quietly  motioned  him  back,  and  herself 
stepped  outside,  "  Mr.  Hawley  is  very  ill," 
said  she,  "  and  unable  to  see  company." 

"  May  I  not  be  allowed  to  see  him  a  mo 
ment?" 

"  No,  sir." 


LITTLE   WOLF.  75 

"  Just  for  a  moment,"  he  persisted,  "  I  am 
really  anxious  to  see  Prime." 

"  No,  sir ;  his  life  might  be  the  forfeit." 
"Now.  really,  Mrs.  Hawley  —  " 
"  Mr.  Glutter,"  said  she,  interrupting  him, 
"  have  you  forgotten  your  conduct  to  me  the 
last  time  we  met  ?"  and  a  burning  spot  came 
to  her  cheeks,  and  scathing  words  dropped 
from  her  lips.  "  You  know  too  well,  sir,  that 
my  home  is  desolate,  my  heart  is  broken,  and 
my  husband  is  murdered,  all  through  the  in 
fluence  of  your  cursed  business.  I  thought  I 
would  treat  you  politely,  Mr.  Glutter,  but  I 
cannot.  God  forgive  me.  Leave  me ;  the 
very  sight  of  you  makes  me  desperate.  Leave 
me,  I  say,  if  you  would  not  again  have  the 
curse  of  a  drunkard's  wife  fall  upon  your 
blackened  soul." 

"  What  a  perfect  she-devil  you  are,"  said 
Hank,  now  throwing  off  all  restraint.  "  I 
mean  to  see  Prime,  spite  of  you." 

"  Try  it,  if  3^011  dare,"  said  she,  and  her 
eyes  flashed  and  sparkled  with  a  desperate 
purpose,  as  she  planted  herself  in  the  door. 


76  LITTLE   WOLF. 

Just  then,  Dr.  Goodrich  and  daddy,  on  their 
return  trip,  were  seen  approaching. 

"  You'll  repent  this,"  said  her  persecutor 
with  an  oath,  and  immediately  withdrew. 

He  went  directly  to  the  cove  where  Little 
Wolfs  boat  was  usually  moored.  It  was  not 
there,  and  he  took  courage. 

"  Bloody  Jim  could  not  be  hurt  much,"  he 
soliloquized  in  an  undertone,  "  or  he  couldn't 
have  taken  the  boat  away.  I  shall  manage 
that  girl  yet,  and  that  Sherman,  too,  if  he 
don't  take  care  of  himself.  They'll  be  lovers, 
I  see  that  plainly  enough.  So  much  the 
better;  moonlight  walks  will  follow,  as  a 
matter  of  course.  Now  we'll  see  who  will 
beat  in  this  game." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Music  —  THE  WARNING  —  PREPARATIONS 
FOR  WINTER  INTERRUPTED  —  THE  WEL 
COME  BOAT. 

HREE  months  had  passed,  and  during 
"  that  time,  Dr.  DeWolf  had  entirely  re 
covered  his  health.  Prime  Hawley  was 
up  and  doing,  following  with  renewed  vigor 
his  former  pursuits;  threats  and  entreaties 
had  wrung  from  him  a  half-hearted  confes 
sion,  but,  out  of  pity  for  his  wife,  the  affair 
was  hushed  up,  and  he  was  saved  from  mer 
ited  punishment. 

Bloody  Jim  had  not  been  seen  or  heard  of, 


78  LITTLE  WOLF. 

and  he  alone  carried  the  secret  of  Hank 
Glutter's  criminal  designs. 

Edward  Sherman  had  become  an  almost 
daily  visitor  at  Dr.  DeWolf  s,  and  while  his 
friend  Dr.  Goodrich  was  establishing  himself 
in  his  profession  at  Pendleton,  he  was  gradu 
ally  gaining  a  more  certain  hold,  on  the  affec 
tions  of  Little  Wolf. 

Our  heroine  was  still,  to  all  appearance, 
the  same  little  bundle  of  contradictions  that 
she  had  always  been. 

"  There,  I'm  always  sure  to  do  the  very 
thing  I  say  I  will  not  do,"  she  said  to  herself 
half  pettishly,  as  she  opened  her  piano  with 
a  jerk,  and  ran  her  fingers  carelessly,  over  the 
keys,  one  fine  October  day. 

Very  soon  she  was  quite  absorbed,  in  prac 
ticing  a  difficult  piece  of  music,  which  her 
lover  had,  heretofore,  recommended  in  vain. 

"  O,  Miss  DeWolf,  there's  a  squaw  here 
that  wants  to  see  you,"  said  Sorrel  Top, 
bursting  suddenly  into  the  room. 

"  O,  she's  begging,  no  doubt.  Give  her 
what  she  wants,  Sorrel  Top,  I'm  engaged  just 


LITTLE   WOLF.  79 

now,"  and  Little  Wolf  went  on  with  her 
music. 

"  There,  I  told  you  so.  I  knowed  Miss 
DeWolf  wouldn't  have  nothing  to  do  with 
squaws,  or  injins,  nor  nothing  else  that's  low," 
exclaimed  Sorrel  Top,  loud  enough  to  be 
heard  by  her  young  mistress,  who  always 
made  it  a  point  to  do  the  very  thing  it  was 
expected  she  would  not  do. 

The  dumpy  little  copper- colored  creature, 
enveloped  in  an  Indian  blanket,  before  whom 
Sorrel  Top  had  drawn  herself  up  with  a  tri 
umphant  toss  of  the  head,  was  just  making  a 
second  plea,  when  Little  Wolf  made  her  ap 
pearance. 

"  I  want  to  hear  music,  do  tell  the  lady  I 
want  to  hear  music,"  she  said  in  very  good 
English. 

"  O,  if  that's  what  you  want,  come  this 
way,"  said  Little  Wolf,  leading  on  to  the 
parlor. 

The  Indian  iOu.owea,  pattering  along  in 
her  soft  moccasins,  leaving  Sorrel  Top  quite 
crest  fallen. 


80  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  Now  here  is  where  the  music  comes  from," 
said  Little  Wolf,  placing  her  hand  upon  the 
instrument,  and  following  her  piece  of  infor 
mation  with  a  lively  air. 

"  Now,  how  do  you  like  that  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  pretty ;  may  I  try  to  make 
music  ?  " 

"Certainly,"  said  Little  Wolf,  vacating 
her  seat  with  infinite  condescention.  The 
maiden  drew  her  blanket  more  closely  around 
her,  and  made  it  fast.  Her  exceedingly  small 
and  finely  formed  hands  were  now  at  liberty, 
and,  instead  of  the  discordant  notes  which 
her  auditor  fully  expected,  a  flood  of  har 
monious  sounds  burst  upon  her  ear. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  exclaimed  Little 
Wolf  in  utter  astonishment,  when  the  strains 
had  ceased. 

The  performer  bent  upon  her  a  long  search 
ing  look,  and  enquired,  "  Are  you  Miss  De 
Wolf?" 

"  I  am." 

The  strange  visitor  immediately  rose  and 
approached  the  door. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  81 

"There!  stop;  who  are  you?"  demanded 
Little  Wolf,  vehemently. 

"  Hush !  I  was  going  to  bolt  the  door," 
and  she  deliberately  turned  the  key  in  the 
lock.  "  I'm  your  friend,  young  lady,  and 
I'm  come  to  warn  you  of  impending  danger." 

Little  Wolf  slightly  paled,  but  she  stood 
firm  awaiting  further  developments. 

"  Too  much  time  has  been  wasted  already," 
she  began,  "  Bloody  Jim  is  here,  at  Chimney 
Rock,  waiting  for  the  first  favorable  moment 
to  kidnap  you,  and  murder  your  servants, 
and  set  fire  to  your  home.  He  is  now  more 
daring  and  reckless  than  ever.  Three  times 
you  have  thwarted  him,  and  he  still  carries 
the  scars  he  has  received  at  your  hands. 
This  is  the  day,  and,  for  ought  I  know,  the 
very  hour,  that  he  designs  to  fall  upon  you. 
It  was  to  be  when  your  father  was  helplessly 
intoxicated,  and  yourself  entirely  off  your 
guard.  I  think  he  has  two  or  three  accom 
plices  living  in  this  place.  I  love  Bloody 
Jim,  steeped  in  crime  as  he  is,  and  I  beg  of 
you,  if  it  shall  be  possible  for  you  to  save 


82  UTTLE  WOLF. 

yourself  without  taking  his  life,  you  will  do 
so.  I  have  now  done  all  I  can  for  you  ;  good 
bye." 

"  There,  you  shall  not  go,"  exclaimed  Little 
Wolf,  springing  towards  her,  "  you  must  stay 
and  assist  me." 

"  I  can  do  nothing  more  for  you,  Miss  De 
Wolf,  indeed,  I  cannot.  I  have  told  you  all 
I  know.  My  journey  has  been  exceedingly 
painful  and  perilous,  and  I  am  completely 
exhausted.  If  I  am  discovered,  I  must  in 
evitably  lose  my  life.  I  do  not  dread  death, 
but  if  alive,  and  you  should  be  captured,  I 
might  possibly  render  you  some  assistance. 
Now  you  must  not  detain  me." 

"  Well,  but  who  are  you,"  persisted  Little 
Wolf,  "  that  you  are  able  to  give  me  all  this 
information,  and  yet  cannot  give  me  any 
aid?" 

"  I  can,  in  all  probability,  aid  you  more  by 
going  than  by  remaining,"  said  the  other  hur 
riedly.  "  My  skin  is  stained,  my  clothes  are 
stuffed  to  give  me  this  fleshy  appearance,  but 
you  will  recognize  me  if  we  meet  again.  My 


LITTLE  WOLF.  83 

name  is  Antoinette  Le  Claire.  Now  I  must 
go.  The  good  Lord  help  you,"  and  she  wad 
dled  off,  in  precise  imitation  of  a  fat  old 
squaw. 

"  Now  I  must  be  brave,"  thought  Little 
Wolf,  pressing  her  hand  on  her  brow,  while 
she  tried  to  think  what  plan  to  pursue. 

Her  first  thought  was  for  her  father's  safe 
ty,  who  was,  as  usual,  at  the  brewery,  where 
he  had  gone  soon  after  dinner,  and  as  he  had 
not  been  there  long,  she  hoped  he  was  not,  as 
yet,  intoxicated. 

Stepping  to  the  door,  she  hailed  daddy, 
who  was  busy  storing  away  some  vegetables 
in  the  cellar,  for  winter  use.  "  See  here, 
daddy,  I  want  you  to  go  down  to  the  brewery 
as  quick  as  you  can,  and  tell  father  —  well, 
tell  him  I'm  sick,  and  want  to  see  him  right 
away." 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  honey," — 

"  O,  go,  this  minute,  daddy,"  and  she  shut 
the  door  in  his  face,  and  proceeded  to  the 
kitchen,  where  she  found  mammy  quietly 
smoking  her  pipe  in  the  corner. 


84  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  O,  mammy,  where  is  Sorrel  Top  ?  "  said 
she. 

"  Sorrel  Top,  why  she's  picking  grapes  for 
that  are  jelly  you  wanted  made.  I'm  going 
to  help  her  when  I  git  rested,  and  slick  up  a 
leetle." 

"  No,  mammy,  you  must  help  me.  Bloody 
Jim  is  around  here  somewhere,  and  he's  go 
ing  to  try  to  kill  us  all  and  burn  the  house. 
I've  just  sent  daddy  for  father,  and  }TOU  had 
better  call  Sorrel  Top.  I'll  get  my  pistols, 
and  we'll  secure  the  house." 

"  O,  laws  a  mercy  !  how  did  you  find  it 
out,  honey  ?" 

"  Wait  'till  we  are  safe  and  I'll  tell  you." 

"  O,  honey,  did  you  tell  daddy  ?" 

"  No." 

"  O,  I'm  awful  glad,  he'd  be  so  fiustrated 
you  know." 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  now  don't  you  get  fiustrat 
ed,  and  let  it  out  quite  *yet,  you  had  better 
tell  Sorrel  Top,  though." 

Sorrel  Top  was  duly  informed,  and  they 
all  set  to  work,  and  had  made  what  arrange- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  85 

ments  for  their  safety  they  could,  when  daddy 
returned. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  Honey,  the  Doctor 
can't  come." 

Little  Wolf  knew,  by  the  expression  on  the 
old  servant's  face,  why  her  father  could  not 
come,  and  she  went  up  close  to  him,  and  whis 
pered,  "  Is  he  very  bad,  daddy  ?" 

"  O  yes,  pet,  'tween  you  and  me,  he's  dead 
drunk." 

A  shiver  ran  through  the  daughter  at  this 
intelligence,  and  she  now  felt  strong  suspi 
cions  that  Hank  Glutter  was  implicated  in 
her  enemy's  plot,  and  the  condition  of  her 
father  indicated  that  the  crisis  was  near  at 
hand. 

"  Well,  daddy,  cannot  you  get  him  some 
way?"  she  enquired,  after  a  moment's  thought, 
"  can't  you  get  some  of  the  men  to  help 
you  ?" 

"  There  ain't  nobody  there  but  Hank  Glut 
ter." 

"  Well,  won't  he  assist  you  ?" 

"  Bless  your  heart,  honey,  no  —  he  ordered 


86  LITTLE  WOLF. 

me  off  when  I  was  there  just  now,  and  said 
things  it  wouldn't  do  for  you  to  hear,  no 
how." 

"  If  you  should  write  him  a  little  billet  and 
ask  him,  may  be  he  would,"  suggested  mam 
my. 

The  note  was  speedily  dispatched,  and  ran 
thus :  — 

"  Will  Mr.  Glutter  do  Miss  DeWolf  the 
favor  to  assist  the  bearer,  in  bringing  her 
father  home." 

"  Now,  honey,  'tween  you  and  me,"  said 
daddy,  who  soon  after  returned  in  high  dis 
pleasure,  "  that  Hank  Glutter  can  lie  as  fast 
as  a  hoss  can  trot.  He  turned  red  clar  up  to 
his  har,  when  he  read  your  billet,  and  sez  he 
to  me, '  go  tell  Miss  DeWolf  that  I've  sprained 
my  right  arm,  and  can't  lift  a  pound.'  " 

"  The  Lord  be  praised,  there's  a  steamer 
coming,"  exclaimed  Little  Wolf. 

All  eyes  were  instantly  turned  in  the  di 
rection  of  the  river,  and  several  miles  away, 
the  smoke  bursting  from  the  tall  pipes  of  a 
steamboat,  and  curling  towards  the  clouds, 
was  distinctly  visible. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  87 

"  Now,  daddy,  you  must  take  that  boat 
and  carry  a  letter  to  —  to  Mr.  Sherman,  and 
we'll  see  if  we  can't  outwit  Mr.  Glutter." 

"  O,  but,  honey,  'tween  you  and  me,  them 
'taters  and  things  must  be  got  in.  What  if 
we  should  have  a  frost  to-night,  and  spile 
'em.  Hank  will  send  the  Doctor  home  when 
it's  time  to  lock  up,  and  it  don't  make  much 
difference  whether  he's  here  or  there." 

"  Yes,  it  does,  daddy,  and  I'm  bound  to 
have  father  home,  now  I've  set  out,  so  you 
run  to  the  landing,  and  give  the  signal." 

"  Hurry  him  up,  mammy,"  she  whispered 
to  her  housekeeper,  and  immediately  went  to 
her  writing  desk. 

"  Laws,  how  can  I  leave  them  are  taters, 
mammy?"  he  said,  appealing  to  his  better-half. 

"  Laws,  you  can  git  back  in  time  to  kiver 
'em  up  ;  you'll  better  let  'em  spile  and  keep 
on  the  right  side  of  the  pet.  Likely  she's 
got  something  particular  she  wants  to  say  to 
Mr.  Sherman ;  girls  is  up  to  sich  things. 
There,  now,  you'd  better  leave,  that  are  boat 
is  heaving  in  sight." 


88  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Chimney  Rock  was  one  of  those  insignifi 
cant  points,  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  where 
steamers  seldom  had  occasion  to  land,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  hoist  a  signal,  when  any 
of  the  inhabitants  wished  to  take  passage  on 
a  boat  from  that  place. 

Daddy  vigorously  waved  his  red  flag  to 
and  fro,  and  the  result  was,  in  ten  minutes, 
he  had  embarked  on  board  the  steamer  "  Gol 
den  Era,"  with  Little  Wolfs  communication 
stowed  safely  away  in  his  pocket. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  LOVE-LETTER  —  DISCUSSION — A  QUICK 
RIDE — Too  LATE — VIOLENCE  AND  DEATH. 

R.  GOODRICH'S  cosey  office,  situated 
on  the  corner  of  Second  and  Centre 
Streets,  in  the  village  of  Pendleton,  was 
a  convenient  lounging  place  for  Edward  Sher 
man,  and  it  so  happened  that  on  the  very  day 
that  Little  Wolf  had  dispatched  her  messenger, 
he  had  repaired  thither  to  read  his  newspapers 
and  letters,  smoke  cigars,  and  indulge  in  the 
comfort  which  a  confidential  chat  with  a 
friend,  generally  affords  to  a  companionable 
mind. 


90  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  See  here,  Doctor,"  said  he,  depositing  the 
bundle  of  mail  matter  on  the  office  table,  and 
seating  himself  in  an  arm-chair  beside  it. 

"  Anything  for  me  ?  "  said  the  Doctor,  who 
was  busy  arranging  some  papers. 

"A  letter  from  Aer,"  said  Edward,  with 
slow,  droll  emphasis. 

"  Really,  Ned,  that  is  decidedly  cool.  How 
long  do  you  propose  to  make  me  wait  for  it?" 

"  Help  yourself,  Doctor.  It's  there  among 
the  papers,"  said  Edward,  lighting  a  cigar. 

Occasionally,  Edward  glanced  over  the  top 
of  his  newspaper  to  observe  the  animated 
countenance  of  his  friend,  as  he  perused  the 
lines  traced  by  the  hand  of  love. 

Having  thus  marked  his  progress  to  the 
end,  he  enquired,  "  Now,  Doctor,  what  says 
my  little  sister  ?" 

"  She  says,  Ned, '  this  is  now  the  middle  of 
Autumn.' ': 

"  O,  is  that  all  ?  " 

"  Well,  the  next  in  order  is, '  and  mother  is 
expecting  Edward  home  soon.'  " 

"  That  is  just  what  I  have  been  expecting 


LITTLE  WOLF.  91 

to  hear  for  a  week  past,  Doctor.  You  know 
I  have  made  my  success  with  Miss  De  Wolf 
the  condition  on  which  I  should  be  induced 
to  locate  here.  Well,  I'm  pretty  sure  of  her, 
and  I  have  at  length  determined  to  hang  out 
my  shingle,  and  go  to  work.  I  can  see  no 
way  but  to  peisuade  mother  and  Louise  to 
come  out  here  and  live  with  us." 

"  Then,  you  are  really  engaged  to  Miss  De 
Wolf,  Ned?" 

"  Why,  no,  not  exactly.  I  doubt  whether 
we  shall  ever,  really,  be  formally  engaged.  I 
wouldn't  be  surprised  if  she  told  me,  an  hour 
before  our  marriage,  that  she  didn't  intend  to 
take  me  ;  but  then,  I  know  she  will.  Poor 
old  daddy  has  frequently  volunteered  the 
information  that  the  Pet  will  never  marry 
a  man,  who  has  been  guilty  of  drinking  a 
glass  of  lager  beer.  He  says  she  is  bitterly 
opposed  to  anything  that  will  'toxicate,  but  I 
suspect  the  experience  she  has  had  with  her 
father  has  put  those  ultra  notions  into  her 
head." 

"  No  wonder,  Ned  ;  the  fact  that  there  are 


92  LITTLE  WOLF. 

hundreds  of  such  cases  as  Dr.  De  Wolfs  has 
influenced  my  opinion  on  the  subject  to  a 
greater  extent,  perhaps,  than  any  other,  and 
really,  I'm  glad  Miss  De  Wolf  favors  total 
abstinence  ;  I  hope  she  will  convert  you." 

"  Never,  my  friend.  I  shall  always  adhere 
to  the  principle  that  a  man  is  capable  of  con 
trolling  his  appetite,  within  the  bounds  of 
reason.  Let  a  man  but  will  to  drink  moder 
ately,  and  he  can." 

u  But,  Ned,  a  person  seldom  loills  to  drink 
moderately,  but  ends  by  willing  to  drink  im 
moderately.  Now  in  such  cases  what  be 
comes  of  your  theory  ?" 

"  The  fact  is,  Doctor,  you  and  I  have  so 
often  discussed  the  subject,  that  I  believe 
there  is  nothing  new  left  to  be  said,  on  either 
side.  I  wish  Hank  Glutter  was  here,  and  he 
would  show  you  in  five  minutes,  why  we 
should  not  deprive  ourselves  of  the  gifts  of 
Providence,  simply  because  others  have  abused 
them." 

"  I  pity  a  drunkard,  Ned,"  said  the  Doctor, 
very  quietly,  "but  I  despise  a  drunkard- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  93 

maker,  and  the  less  conversation  I  have  with 
one  of  that  class,  the  better." 

The  color  quickly  mounted  to  Edward's 
face,  but  a  loud  knock  at  the  door  suspended 
his  reply. 

"  Come  in,"  said  the  Doctor,  and  in  stalked 
daddy. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  Mr.  Sherman,"  said 
he,  approaching  Edward,  "  the  honey  has 
sent  you  a  letter  ;  here  it  is." 

Edward  received  the  letter  with  a  mixture 
of  surprise  and  pleasure,  which  he  could  not 
conceal. 

Unfolding  it  with  nervous  haste,  he  ran  his 
eye  over  the  few  brief  lines.  "  Good  heav 
ens  !"  he  exclaimed,  starting  to  his  feet, 
"  Bloody  Jim  is  at  Chimney  Rock  again." 

Daddy  sprang  forward,  with  dilated  eyes 
and  open  mouth,  and  fastened  his  grip  upon 
Edward,  who  comprehended  in  an  instant 
why  the  old  man  had  not  been  apprized  of 
the  nature  of  his  errand,  and  he  resolved  on 
returning  him  to  his  former  state  of  blissful 
ignorance. 


94  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  Let  me  see ;  have  I  made  a  mistake  ?" 
said  he,  again  looking  over  the  letter,  "  Bloody 
Jim  is  not  at  Chimney  -Rock,  after  all." 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  what  made  you 
think  he  was  ?  "  said  daddy,  whose  panic  be 
gan  to  subside. 

"  O,  I  saw  his  name,  and  took  it  for  grant 
ed  he  was  there.  I  did  not  quite  make  out 
what  was  said." 

"  The  billet  was  writ  in  a  hurry,  Mr.  Sher 
man  ;  you  must  excuse  it.  The  honey  is  the 
most  distinctest  writer  I  knows  on.  She  got 
a  wonderful  edication  down  thar,  in  New 
York ;  'tween  — 

"  Miss  DeWolf  wants  me  to  go  to  Chimney 
Rock  immediately,"  said  Edward,  arresting 
the  words  on  the  lips  of  his  garrulous  visitor. 

^  Sartain,  I  know'd  it." 

"  The  Doctor  will  go  with  us,  and  I  want 
you  to  go  to  Frink's  stable  and  order  the 
horses;  we  will  be  ready  by  the  time  you 
come  round." 

"  I'll  dew  it." 

"  Now  in  the  name  of  wonder,  what  does 


LITTLE  WOLF.  95 

all  this  mean?"  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  as 
daddy  slammed  the  door  behind  him. 

Edward  handed  him  Little  Wolfs  letter, 
which  merely  stated  that  Bloody  Jim  was  at 
Chimney  Rock,  and  she  was  momentarily  ex 
pecting  violence  at  his  hands. 

No  time  was  lost  in  vain  conjectures ;  a 
constable  was  engaged,  and  the  friends  had 
already  buckled  on  their  armor,  which  con 
sisted  of  pistols  and  bowie  knives,  when 
daddy  returned  with  their  horses.  They 
were  fleet-footed  animals,  and  he  was  him 
self  well  mounted. 

Not  long  were  the  horsemen  in  reaching 
the  well-known  "  Pass,"  and  as  they  emerged 
from  the  trees,  and  approached  the  house,  no 
indication  of  the  threatened  hostilities  ap 
peared.  But  still  they  dashed  along  over 
the  fallen  leaves  and  faded  turf,  and  drew  up 
in  front  of  Dr.  De  Wolfs. 

All  was  quiet  about  the  old  brown  house. 
They  dismounted  and  approached  the  door, 
daddy  leading  the  way,  with  the  air  of  a 
conqueror.  He  saw  in  imagination  his  young 


96  LITTLE  WOLF. 

mistress  triumphing  over  the  discomfited  Hank 
Glutter,  and  he  greatly  gloried  in  the  antici 
pated  conquest. 

His  companions  were  secretly  uneasy  at 
the  unusual  stillness  which  reigned  around, 
and  when  he  attempted  to  open  the  front 
door,  and  it  resisted  his  efforts,  Edward  anx 
iously  stepped  forward  and  knocked  loudly 
and  hurriedly. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  the  old  man  compla 
cently,  "  I  guess  them  women  folks  have  gone 
out.  I'll  just  step  around  the  back  way,  and 
let  you  in." 

The  gentlemen  followed  him  without  cere 
mony  into  the  kitchen,  and  the  first  object 
that  met  their  horrified  sight,  was  mammy, 
stretched  lifeless  on  the  floor. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the  grief 
and  terror  which  took  possession  of  daddy, 
or  the  agony  of  doubt  which  sent  Edward 
like  a  madman  through  the  house.  As  he 
flung  open  the  door  of  a  spacious  sleeping 
apartment  on  the  second  floor,  clouds  of  smoke 
and  flame  drove  him  back.  A  pile  of  light 


LITTLE    WOLF.  97 

bedding  and  other  inflammable  articles  had 
been  set  on  fire  near  the  centre  of  the  room, 
but  the  fire  had  not,  as  yet,  communicated 
itself  to  the  building,  and  Edward,  finding 
water  near  by,  soon  succeeded  in  extinguish 
ing  the  flames. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  Sorrel  Top 
emerged  from  an  adjoining  chamber,  trem 
bling  so  as  to  be  scarcely  able  to  stand. 

"  Where  is  Miss  De  Wolf?"  exclaimed  Ed 
ward. 

"  O,  they've  carried  her  off ;  oh  !  oh !  oh !" 
—  and  a  long  shudder  shook  her  frame. 

"  Sorrel  Top,"  said  Edward,  assuming  calm 
ness  in  order  to  allay  her  fears,  "  there  is  no 
immediate  danger,  and  I  want  you  to  tell  me 
as  distinctly  as  you  can,  all  that  has  oc 
curred." 

"  O,  Mr.  Sherman,  Bloody  Jim  has  been 
here.  I  expect  it  was  he,  and  we  were  watch 
ing  for  him,  too,  but  we  didn't  any  of  us  see 
him  come.  I  was  watching  on  the  east  side 
of  the  house,  and  mammy  was  watching  in 
the  kitchen,  and  I  could  see  Miss  De  Wolf 


98  LITTLE   WOLF. 

through  the  long  hall,  standing  right  by  that 
window  there,  looking  out,  and  Bloody  Jim 
came  up  behind  her  sly,  and  catched  her  be 
fore  she  saw  him  at  all.  She  screeched  out, 
and  tried  to  get  away,  but  he  held  her  tight, 
and  hollered,  '  come  on,  boys.'  and  two  men 
run  right  in,  and  they  tied  her  hands,  and 
stopped  her  mouth,  and  just  strapped  a  big 
blanket  around  her,  and  carried  her  off,  and 
I  ran  and  hid,  for  I  thought  they'd  kill  me  if 
they  saw  me." 

"  How  long  since  they  were  here  ?  "  said 
Edward,  eagerly. 

"  O,  it's  only  a  little  while,  and  may  be 
you  can  ketch  'em,"  said  Sorrel  Top,  bright 
ening  up  a  little. 

Sorrel  Top's  reply  infused  a  bright  ray  of 
hope  into  Edward's  highly  wrought  feelings, 
and,  accompanied  by  his  friends,  he  immed 
iately  started  in  pursuit. 

Just  outside  the  house  they  met  Mrs.  Haw- 
ley,  who  informed  them,  that  sometime  before 
she  had  seen  three  men  going  towards  the 
brewery.  To  the  brewery  they  quickly  went. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  99 

The  wily  proprietor  denied  having  seen  the 
fugitives,  and  feigned  excessive  emotion  when 
informed  of  their  inhuman  deeds. 

"  In  what  direction  would  you  advise  us 
to  search,  Mr.  Glutter  ?"  said  Edward. 

"  O,  you  had  better  strike  off  among  the 
bluffs.  They  could  hardly  take  the  river  by 
daylight  without  being  discovered.  Probably 
they  will  reach  some  point  above  here  after 
dark,  and  cross  to  the  other  side  under  cover 
of  night.  I  will  dispatch  a  messenger  to 
Pendleton  for  aid.  My  men,  unfortunately, 
are  gone  after  grain,  and  I  am  uncertain  when 
they  will  return.  Dr.  DeWolf,  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  is  perfectly  helpless  to-day.  While  I 
was  out  a  few  minutes  he  helped  himself  too 
freely." 

Hank  Glutter  faithfully  performed  his 
promises.  The  same  evening  officers  of  jus 
tice  were  sent  out  from  Pendleton,  and  a 
party  of  young  men  volunteered  their  ser 
vices,  and  like  Edward  and  the  Doctor, 
travelled  many  miles.  But  all  in  vain,  Bloody 
Jim  had  escaped  with  his  prize. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BLOODY  JIM'S  ADVANTAGES  —  THE  FAINT 
ING  CAPTIVE —  THE  TRAGIC  QUARREL  — 
OUTWITTED  AT  LAST — THE  REFUGE. 

IS  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  wild 
region  of  country,  over  which  he  di 
rected  his  course,  gave  Bloody  Jim  an 
immense  advantage  over  his  pursuers. . 

While  they  were  floundering  in  treacherous 
sloughs,  or  climbing  unknown  heights,  he  was 
riding  safely  and  swiftly  along  in  company 
with  his  prisoner  and  the  two  villians,  whom 
Sorrel  Top  described  as  having  assisted  in 
kidnapping  her  mistress. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  101 

Little  Wolf  was  so  narrowly  watched  by 
the  trio  that  escape  seemed  impossible.  As 
each  hour  bore  her  farther  from  civilization, 
and  nearer  to  the  Red  River  country,  her 
heart  sank  within  her. 

She  was  compelled  to  pursue  her  journey 
a  large  portion  of  each  night,  and  when  her 
captors  stopped  for  rest  and  refreshment,  she 
was  either  lashed  to  a  tree,  or  bound,  so  as  to 
be  unable  to  rest  with  the  slightest  ease  or 
comfort. 

Under  such  rigorous  treatment  her  strength 
rapidly  declined,  and,  at  the  close  of  the  third 
day,  entirely  failed.  They  had  reached  the 
foot  of  a  beautiful  wooded  bluff  at  a  bend  in 
the  Mississippi,  where  the  town  of  St.  Cloud 
has  since  been  located.  Here  they  were  sud 
denly  brought  to  a  stand ;  the  poor  jaded 
captive  had  fainted. 

Bloody  Jim  saw  her  reeling  in  her  saddle 
and  instantly  threw  his  brawny  arm  around 
her  frail  form.  Dismounting,  and  laying  his 
unconscious  burden  on  a  bed  of  dry  leaves, 
which  the  wind  had  gathered  under  a  huge 


102  LITTLE   WOLF. 

oak,  lie  produced  from  his  knapsack  a  bottle 
of  brandy,  and  proceeded  to  wet  her  face, 
and  force  a  few  drops  into  her  mouth. 

At  the  sight  of  the  long-concealed  bottle, 
his  men  chuckled  with  delight,  and  as  soon 
as  Little  Wolf  exhibited  signs  of  returning 
life,  they  requested  a  "  treat." 

Bloody  Jim,  now  deeming  himself  beyond 
pursuit  for  one  night  at  least,  acceded  to  their 
wishes,  and  also  himself  indulged  in  his  fav 
orite  beverage. 

Little  Wolf  gathered  from  their  conversa 
tion  and  movements  that  they  designed  to 
camp  for  the  night  at  their  present  station, 
and  their  occasional  rude  allusions  to  herself 
filled  her  with  terror.  She  struggled  to  throw 
off  the  oppressive  faintmess  which  she  felt  a 
second  time  stealing  upon  her,  but,  when  she 
saw  Bloody  Jim  approaching  her,  the  horrors 
of  her  situation  completely  overcame  her,  and 
she  again  swooned. 

"  Ugh !  "  grunted  the  disappointed  savage, 
giving  her  inanimate  form  a  rude  kick. 

"  She  wake  before  morning,"  suggested  one 


LITTLE  WOLF.  103 

» 

of  his  comrades  encouragingly,  as  he  passed 
him  the  precious  bottle. 

Bloody  Jim  took  it,  put  it  to  his  lips, 
drained  it  dry,  and  handed  it  back. 

This  was  too  much  for  his  already 
half  drunk  consoler ;  he  angrily  flung  the 
empty  bottle  into  Bloody  Jim's  face,  and  in 
retaliation  received  in  a  twinkling  his  death 
stab. 

Half  breed  No.  3  observed  the  transaction 
with  evident  satisfaction.  He  applauded  the 
murderer  and  cajoled  him  into  furnishing 
from  the  bowels  of  his  knapsack  a  fresh  sup 
ply  of  the  poisonous  liquor. 

After  gratifying  their  rum  appetite  to  the 
full,  the  athletic  men  gradually  became  as 
helpless  as  infants,  and,  sinking  on  the  ground 
as  the  darkness  gathered  around  them,  they 
fell  into  heavy  sleep. 

In  about  an  hour  Little  Wolf  partially  re 
covered,  but,  supposing  herself  to  be  closely 
guarded,  and  still  suffering  from  extreme 
lassitude,  she  closed  her  eyes,  and  gradually 
fell  into  profound  slumber. 


104  LITTLE  WOLF. 

The  hours  glided  on.  The  waning  moon 
looked  sadly  in  through  the  branches  of  the  old 
oaks  upon  the  sleepers.  There  lay  the  mur 
dered  man  with  his  upturned,  ghastly  face ; 
scattered  near  him  were  the  fragments  of  the 
broken  bottle.  Yet  a  little  further  on  were 
the  prostrate  forms  of  his  guilty  fellows,  and 
still  beyond  reclined  the  innocent  one. 

There  was  a  rustling  among  the  leaves  and 
light  footsteps  drew  near,  and  Antoinette  Le 
Clare  gazed  upon  the  scene.  She  was  still 
habited  in  her  Indian  costume.  Softly  ap 
proaching  Little  Wolf  she  as  softly  awoke 
her. 

Little  Wolf  looked  up  wildly  into  the  dark 
face  that  bent  over  her  and  recognized  it  in  a 
moment.  Antoinette  silently  assisted  her  to 
rise,  undid  her  fetters,  and  taking  her  hand, 
noiselessly  led  her  from  the  spot. 

The  staggering  gait  of  her  companion  dis 
closed  to  Antoinette  her  extreme  weakness 
hoping  to  revive  her  drooping  energies  she 
whispered  "  Courage  a  little  longer,  Miss  de 
Wolf,  and  you  are  safe." 


LITTLE  WOLF.  105 

"I've  courage  enough  to  put  an  end  to 
them,"  said  Little  Wolf,  with  a  momentary 
flash  of  her  wonted  spirit,  "  but  I'm  so  dizzy.'' 

"  Well,  rest  here  while  I  bring  my  pony." 

"  No,  I'll  go  with  you,"  and  by  an  act  of 
the  will  Little  Wolf  forced  herself  along  un 
til  they  reached  the  shaggy  little  Indian  pony 
on  the  glade. 

This  they  both  mounted,  Little  Wolf  still 
struggling  bravely  with  her  increasing  illness. 
But  it  was  all  in  vain ;  a  violent  fever  was 
seizing  upon  her.  She  was  alternately  dis 
tressed  with  hot  flashes  and  cold  chills,  and 
worse  still,  her  mind  began  to  wander. 

Antoinette  was  in  deep  distress.  Her  plan 
to  fly  for  protection  to  the  nearest  settlement 
was  completely  frustrated.  It  was  too  far ; 
she  could  not  hope  to  reach  it  in  safety. 
But,  thinking  she  might  possibly  discover  a 
place  of  refuge  in  some  other  direction,  she 
turned  her  horse  and  dashed  off  she  knew  not 
whither. 

Having  rode  on  for  several  miles  over  prai 
rie  and  oak  openings,  determining  to  put  all 


106  LITTLE  WOLF. 

possible  distance  between  herself  and  Bloody 
Jim,  a  most  welcome  sight  met  her  view. 

It  was  a  log  cabin  standing  on  an  eminence, 
comfortable  in  appearance  and  snugly  embos 
omed  in  a  grove  of  trees. 

As  there  was  no  enclosure  around  it,  she 
rode  close  to  the  door,  and,  without  dismount 
ing;  knocked  loudly  with  her  riding  whip. 

An  echo  was  her  only  reply.  The  same 
results  followed  repeated  attempts  to  obtain  a 
hearing,  and  she  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  house  was  either,  unoccupied,  or  the  in 
mates  were  insensible  to  noise.  The  former 
proved  to  be  the  case,  and  what  was  more 
unpleasant,  the  door  was  firmly  fastened. 

Letting  the  invalid  —  whom  she  had  sup 
ported  partly  by  her  arm  and  partly  by  fas 
tening  her  blanket  around  both  —  slide  soft 
ly  to  the  ground,  Antoinette  dismounted  and 
effected  an  entrance  through  a  small  window. 
There  was  but  one  room  in  the  dwelling,  and 
this  was  scantily  furnished.  A  bed,  a  cook- 
stove,  a  flour  barrel  and  a  chest  occupied  each 
a  corner. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  107 

On  a  couple  of  hooks  that  were  fastened  to 
a  beam  overhead  rested  a  rifle,  and  from  a 
peg  at  the  side  was  suspended  a  violin.  A 
hat,  an  old  pair  of  boots,  pushed  partly  under 
the  bed,  and  several  other  articles  of  men's 
wearing  apparel  lying  about  the  room,  pro 
claimed  the  abode  of  a  single  man. 

The  door  was  secured  within  by  a  wooden 
bar,  which  Antoinette  speedily  removed,  and, 
by  extraordinary  exertions  on  the  part  of  her 
friend,  Little  Wolf  was  removed  to  a  com 
fortable  couch  in  the  cabin. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  KIDNAPPER'S  SURPRISE  —  ON  THE 
WRONG  TRACK  —  BLOODY  JIM'S  CAPTURE 
—  THE  POWER  or  HABIT  —  DISPAIR  — 
THE  ROTTEN  PLANK. 

|T  was  late  on  the  following  morning 
when  Bloody  Jim  awoke.  He  rnbbed 
his  eyes  and  scratched  his  head  with  a 
vacant  stare,  for  he  did  not  at  first  remember 
where  he  was.  When  the  objects  by  which 
he  was  surrounded  had  sufficiently  refreshed 
his  memory  he  began  to  look  about  for  his 
prisoner  and,  behold,  she  was  nowhere  to  be 
seen. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  109 

He  ground  his  teeth  with  rage.  "  Ketch- 
nm,"  he  said,  giving  his  still  snoring  compan 
ion  a  tremendous  shake,  "wake  up,  that 
d d  gal  is  gone." 

"  Gone  !  "  exclaimed  Ketchum,  starting  up 
and  beating  around  among  the  bushes,  "  she 
aint  gone  far  I  reckon." 

"She  has  too,"  said  Bloody  Jim,  following 
his  exclamation  with  an  oath. 

"  How  do  you  know,  Jim  ?  " 

"  That  horse  she's  taken,  Ketchum,  will 
travel  like  lightning." 

Now  it  so  happened  that  the  animal  allud 
ed  to  had  broken  loose  during  the  night,  and, 
as  Bloody  Jim  had  appropriated  his  services 
without  consulting  his  master,  who  was  an 
honest  farmer  living  in  the  vicinity  of  St. 
Paul,  the  sagacious  beast  deliberately  set  out 
to  return  to  his  former  comfortable  quarters. 

The  natural  conclusion  of  the  villains  was 
that  Little  Wolf  had  fled  on  their  missing 
horse,  and  so  when  they  had  succeeded  in 
finding  his  track  they  followed  it.  Mile  after 
mile  of  their  former  route  was  retraced. 


110  UTTLE  WOLF. 

Hour  after  hour  they  plodded  on,  scarcely 
stopping  to  give  their  beasts  necessary  rest 
until  the  night  overtook  them,  and  then  were 
only  delayed  for  a  short  time.  They  rose 
with  the  moon,  and,  in  a  few  hours  actually 
came  in  sight  of  the  deserter.  He  was  drink 
ing  at  the  river's  brink  within  sound  of  the 
roar  of  St.  Anthony's  Falls.  Perceiving  his 
pursuers  approaching,  the  noble  beast  threw 
up  his  head,  gave  a  loud  snort  and  darted  off. 

Bloody  Jim  gave  an  impatient  grunt,  but 
Ketchum  clapped  his  hands  with  delight. 
"  Golly  :  the  gal  must  be  near  here,"  said  he. 

"  No,  me  think  she  got  to  the  tavern  on 
yonder  hill.  We  must  find  a  hiding  place, 
Ketchum,  and  me  have  the  gal  yet,  or  the 
constable  have  me." 

Bloody  Jim  little  thought  when  he  made 
his  boast  that  he  would  be  in  the  power  of 
the  constable  before  night,  but  so  it  was. 
The  riderless  horse  having  been  seen  at  St. 
Anthony's,  suspicions  were  aroused,  a  search 
was  instituted,  and  the  result  was  the  capture 
of  the  imprudent  and  high-handed  outlaw. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  Ill 

To  all  questions  put  to  him  concerning  Lit 
tle  Wolf,  he  had  but  one  answer,  "  me  not 
know." 

Threats  and  bribes  elicited  nothing  more 
and  it  was  generally  supposed  that  he  had 
murdered  her.  But  as  the  whole  affair  was 
shrouded  in  mystery,  there  was  some  few  in 
clined  to  the  opinion,  that  she  was  secreted 
in  some  place,  from  which  the  protracted  ab 
sence  of  Bloody  Jim  would  give  her  an  op 
portunity  to  escape.  Among  the  last  named 
was  Dr.  Goodrich  and  Edward  Sherman. 

The  Doctor  was  not  at  the  examination  of 
the  prisoner,  and  Edward  hastened  to  inform 
him  of  the  result.  He  was  at  his  old  haunt, 
and,  as  usual,  under  the  influence  of  stimu 
lus  when  Edward  entered. 

"  No  satisfactory  information  could  be  ob 
tained  from  the  old  scoundrel,"  said  he, 
throwing  himself  upon  a  lounge. 

The  events  of  the  past  few  days  had  worn 
upon  him,  and  his  anxious  look  did  not  escape 
Hank  Glutter,  who  turned  away  to  conceal 
his  exultation. 


112  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"Poor  fellow,  he  too  mourns  for  her," 
thought  Edward,  mistaking  his  movement  for 
one  of  grief. 

After  a  moment's  silence,  Hank  poured  out 
something  from  the  bar.  "  Drink  this,  Sher 
man,"  said  he,  passing  it  to  Edward,  "  I  see 
you  are  tired ;  it  will  strengthen  you." 

Since  Edward's  entrance,  Dr.  DeWolf  had 
sat  gazing  at  him  fixedly.  The  bleared,  dull 
light  of  his  eyes  gave  place  to  a  keen,  wild 
expression  as  Edward  accepted  the  proffered 
glass. 

"  Mr.  Sherman,"  said  he,  in  an  unusually 
strong  voice,  "do  you  see  what  is  in  that 
cup?" 

"  Why,  yes,  doctor ;  it  is  wine." 

"  Yes,  surely  it  is  wine,"  replied  the  other 
"  and  your  inexperienced  eye  sees  nothing 
more  than  a  harmless  beverage  ;  neither  did 
this  bleared  and  bloated  old  man  see  more  than 
that  in  his  wine  years  ago.  Ah !  could  he 
have  seen  in  his  youth  the  vision  in  his  cup 
which  he  now  sees  in  that  which  you  now 
hold  to  your  lips,  he  might  have  been  saved 


LITTLE   WOLF.  113 

from  a  life  of  disgrace  and  ruin.  The  chain 
which  once  bound  me  was  as  light  as  that 
which  now  binds  you." 

"  No  chain  binds  we,"  said  Edward  proud 
ly.  "I  need  not  drink  this  unless  I  choose." 

"  It  seems  but  yesterday,  Edward  Sherman 
since  I  addressed  similar  language  to  your 
father,  and  well  do  I  remember  his  arguments 
to  induce  me  to  abandon  every  beverage  that 
could  intoxicate.  I  recollect  how  I  loathed 
the  drunkard,  as  you  do  me,  and  how  my 
proud  heart  rebelled  at  the  humiliating 
thought  that  habit  would  ever  become  too 
strong  to  be  controlled  by  my  will ;  but  boast 
ings  were  vain ;  the  time  will  shortly  come 
when  I  shall  sink  into  a  drunkard's  hell  — 
and  you,  poor  Hank,  will  be  there  too,"  he 
continued,  turning  to  Hank  Glutter,  "you 
will  be  sent  down  to  wait  upon  your  custo 
mers.  You  must  stand  behind  your  flaming 
bar  and  pour  out  the  liquid  fire  and  brimstone 
for  such  as  I ;  but,  never  mind,  the  traffic  will 
enrich  you  with  showers  of  molten  gold.  No 
drop  from  God's  pure  fountain  to  cool  your 


114  LITTLE  WOLF. 

parched  tongue.  One  long  eternal  blaze  shall 
light  up  your  saloon.  Drunken  devils  reel 
ing  to  and  fro  —  Oh !  I  see  them  now  "  —  and 
the  doctor  gave  a  fearful  shriek  and  fell  up 
on  the  floor. 

He  raved  frightfully  for  hours,  but  in  an 
interval  of  calmness  was  removed  to  his  des 
olate  home. 

The  loss  of  his  wife  had  entirely  unfitted 
daddy  for  active  service,  and  Sorrel  Top,  on 
account  of  her  youth  and  inexperience,  was 
an  inefficient  nurse :  consequently  Mrs.  Haw- 
ley's  services  were  engaged.  Edward  also 
bestowed  every  attention  in  his  power,  but 
the  delirium  tremens  had  fixed  upon  his  aged 
friend  and  his  horrid  imaginings  continued  for 
days. 

It  was  impossible  for  Edward,  who  was  the 
soul  of  humanity,  to  witness  unmoved  the 
doctor's  terrible  agony,  and,  at  such  seasons, 
he  would  invariably  resolve  that  he  would 
put  forth  an  effort  to  reclaim  him.  "  I  will 
reason  with  him  and  show  him  the  folly  of 
his  course,"  said  he  to  himself. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  115 

When  the  invalid  was  able  to  bear  conver 
sation,  Edward  approached  him  on  the  sub 
ject  as  delicately  as  possible. 

"  Dr.,"  said  he,  "  I  am  young  to  advise  one 
like  you,  but  if  you  would  permit  me,  I  think 
I  could  prescribe  a  remedy  for  your  disease, 
and  one  that  would  ensure  you  a  hale,  hearty 
old  age." 

"  I  know  what  you  would  say,  Edward," 
replied  the  Dr.,  rising  upon  his  elbow,  "  but 
I  cannot  do  it.  I  cannot  let  drink  alone.  I 
must  drink  if  it  kills  me.  Times  without 
number  I  have  forsworn  it,  and  I  will  never 
add  another  broken  vow  to  my  perjured  soul. 
If  you  would  be  useful  in  the  cause  of  tem 
perance,  Edward,  if  you  would  save  such  as 
I,  and,  what  is  more  important,  if  you  would 
save  the  young,  then  use  all  your  influence 
to  stop  the  liquor  traffic." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  at  all  ultra,"  said  Edward, 
somewhat  embarrassed,  "  I  have  never  given 
the  subject  which  you  mention  much 
thought." 

"  Then  it  is  high  time  you  should,"  said  the 


116  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Dr.,  warming  up  with  a  look  of  lofty  enthu 
siasm,  "  I  am  sober  now,  Edward,  and  I  may 
never  be  in  my  right  mind  again.  I  must 
drink  to-day,  I  know  I  can  get  it,  and  I  will 
have  it ;  I  suppose  you  would  say,  '  if  he  will 
go  to  the  devil,  let  him  go ; '  but  I  say,  if 
there  was  no  drink  to  be  had,  if  it  were  not 
sold  here,  if  it  were  not  sold  elsewhere,  I 
could  not  get  it,  and  I  should  be  saved.  A 
law  prohibiting  the  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks 
is  what  is  most  needed.  I  know  these  senti 
ments  coming  from  one  like  me  sound  strange 
ly,  but,  Edward,  such  a  law  enforced  in  my 
native  state  would  have  saved  me,  and  I  know 
it.  Such  a  law  now  enforced  in  all  our  states 
would  restore  many  a  besotted  husband  to  a 
broken-hearted  wife  ;  many  a  lost  son  to  a 
widowed  mother,  many  a  darling  brother  to 
a  distressed  and  mortified  sister.  It  would 
bring  light  and  gladness  to  thousands  of  sor 
rowful  hearts  and  homes ;  it  would  feed  the 
hungry,  clothe  the  naked..  Less  blood  would 
cry  aloud  to  heaven  for  vengeance,  and  less 
crime  of  every  description  would  be  commit- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  117 

ted.  This  lovely  territory  will  soon  become 
a  state  ;  here  you  will  rise  to  eminence  in 
your  profession.  I  know  it  will  be  so.  You 
possess  your  father's  talents,  and  you  also 
possess  his  high  social  qualities,  which,  at  one 
time,  brought  him  to  the  verge  of  ruin. 
Judge  Sherman  did  not  at  first  love  drink, 
but  he  often  drank  to  please  his  friends.  His 
associates  tarried  at  the  wine,  and  he  would 
be  one  with  them.  The  secret,  Edward,  of 
the  fall  of  nine-tenths  of  our  young  men  is 
social  drinking ;  now,  moral  suasion  has  saved 
many,  and  no  doubt  will  save  many  more. 
But  would  you  give  the  serpent  his  death 
wound,  then  bring  the  arm  of  the  law  down 
upon  him  and  it  is  done." 

"  The  prohibitory  liquor  law  of  Maine  has 
been  said  to  have  -worked  wonders,"  said  Ed 
ward  rather  faintly,  "  but  it  is  thought  to  be 
unconstitutional,  by  many  of  our  best  law 
yers." 

"Undoubtedly  it  has  been  so  declared," 
said  the  Dr.,  "  but  I  would  be  sorry  to  believe 


118  LITTLE  WOLF. 

the  opinion  correct ;  would  not  you,  Ed 
ward  ?  " 

The  Dr.  fixed  his  piercing  eyes  upon  Ed 
ward,  for  he  began  to  suspect  that  his  young 
friend's  views  did  not  coincide  with  those 
which  he  had  expressed. 

Edward  moved  uneasily  in  his  chair,  bit 
his  lips,  and  finally  stammered  out,  "  Well,  I 
don't  know  Dr.,  really,  it  seems  like  depriv 
ing  a  man  of  his  liberty  to  legislate  upon 
what  he  shall,  or  shall  not  sell." 

"  Even  if  he  sells  that  which  he  IOIOAVS  will 
craze  his  neighbor's  brain,  and  cause  him  to 
commit  the  most  atrocious  crimes  ?  When 
an  individual  directly,  or  indirectly  aids  and 
abets  crime,  ought  he  to  escape  punishment  ?  " 

Edward  saw  that  he  stood  upon  a  plank  of 
the  rotten  old  platform,  upon  which  so  many 
have  broken  through,  though  they  still  hold 
to  the  decaying  posts,  and  he  ingeniously 
evaded  the  question. 

"  I'm  afraid,  Dr.,  you  are  over-exerting 
yourself,"  said  he,  "I  will  leave  you  to  rest 
while  I  walk  out  and  breathe  the  fresh  air." 


CHAPTER    XI. 


HARMLESS  CONSPIEACY — THE  GHOST  — 
THE  WIFE  MURDERER  —  TIPPLING  AND 
TATTLING  —  MISREPRESENTATIONS. 

R.  Glutter,  Dr.  DeWolf  wants  you  to 
fill  this  flask  with  brandy,"  said  Sorrel 
Top  entering  the  saloon  of  the  former, 
about  an  hour  after  Edward  had  left  the  lat 
ter  to  repose. 

"  Certainly,"  said  Hank,  with  a  bland  smile. 
"  Allow  me  to  speak  with  you  a  moment, 
Mr.  Glutter,"  said  Edward  Sherman,  hastily 
leaving  his  seat  near  a  billiard  table,  where 
he  was  watching  the  progress  of  a  game,  and 
taking  Hank  aside. 


120  LITTLE   WOLF. 

They  whispered  earnestly  together  for  a  few 
moments.  "  Very  well,"  said  Hank  in  con 
clusion,  "  I  am  willing  to  try  that  experiment 
if  you  wish  it,  but  the  Dr.  is  very  stubborn, 
I  have  often  tried  to  check  him."  Then 
turning  to  Sorrel  Top,  "  Tell  the  Dr.  I  have 
no  brandy." 

"  Has  no  brandy  ?  "  exclaimed  the  Dr.  as 
Sorrel  Top  delivered  her  message  ;  "  it's  a  lie. 
O,  I  see  how  it  is ;  Mr.  Sherman  was  there, 
was  he  not  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

Here  the  subject  dropped,  and  the  Dr.  was 
unusually  quiet  and  patient  during  the  re 
mainder  of  the  day.  But  when  Edward  kind 
ly  offered  to  sit  by  him  during  the  night,  he 
would  not  listen  to  him. 

"  No,  no,"  said  he  "  I  am  quite  well ;  the 
parade  of  watchers  would  only  disturb  my 
rest,"  so  Edward  contented  himself  to  retire 
about  midnight. 

The  Dr.  lay  perfectly  quiet  for  an  hour  or 
two  after  Edward  left  him ;  he  then  crept 
softly  out  of  bed,  partially  dressed  himself, 


LITTLE   WOLF.  121 

noiselessly  out  of  bed,  partially  dressed  him 
self,  and  then  wrapping  a  sheet  around  him, 
crept  out  of  the  house,  by  a  window  which 
opened  from  the  room  to  the  piazza.  Glid 
ing  down  the  steps  and  along  the  well-worn 
path  he  soon  reached  the  brewery,  and,  as  he 
was  familiar  with  every  part  of  the  establish 
ment,  found  no  difficulty  in  gaining  access  to 
the  saloon. 

The  proprietor  was  lying  fast  asleep  in  a 
room  from  which  he  could  see  and  be  seen  by 
any  one  behind  the  bar.  At  the  first  click 
of  the  bottles  he  partially  aroused  and  open 
ed  his  eyes  upon  his  ghost-like  visitor. 

Enveloped  in  white,  and  seen  in  the  ob 
scure  light,  the  Dr.'s.  most  familiar  friends 
could  not  possibly  have  recognized  him,  and 
to  Hank's  half  awakened  vision,  he  presented 
a  really  supernatural  appearance. 

Hank  was  not  naturally  superstitious,  and, 
obeying  his  first  impulse,  he  shouted  out, 
"  Who  in  the  d — 1  are  you  ?  " 

The  Dr.  made  a  warning  gesture  with  his 
hand,  as  if  to  compel  silence,  and  the  auda- 


122  LITTLE  WOLF. 

cious  questioner  instinctively  recoiled  further 
back  in  his  bed.  His  courage  began  to  Sail 
him,  and  a  mixture  of  fear  and  astonishment 
kept  him  silent  while  his  visitor  remained, 
which  was  only  long  enough  to  secure  the 
prize  he  was  seeking  among  the  contents  of 
the  shelves. 

Not  suspecting  the  full  extent  of  the  para 
lyzing  effect  his  presence  had  had  upon  Hank, 
and  fearing  he  might  attempt  to  follow,  the 
Dr.  took  a  circuitous  route  home,  and  in  his 
haste  stumbled  over  something  which  he  dis 
covered  to  be  a  shivering,  half  naked  child, 
crouched  upon  the  ground. 

"  What  are  you  doing  out  here  this  time  of 
night,  my  little  fellow  ?  "  said  he. 

"  I'm  afraid  of  papa,"  sobbed  the  child,  "  he 
said  he'd  skin  me  alive  if  I  didn't  get  out  of 
his  sight." 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  Where  do  you  live  ? 
what  bad  thing  have  you  been  doing  ?  "  said 
the  Dr.,  all  in  a  breath. 

"  I  live  in  a  shanty  out  there,  I  am  Fanny 
Green.  I  ain't  done  anything  bad  but  cry, 


LITTLE  WOLF.  123 

and  I  couldn't  help  it,  for  papa  was  striking 
mamma  so." 

"  Well,  come  with  me,  Fanny,  I'll  take  you 
to  your  home,  and  I  won't  let  your  papa  hurt 
you."  . 

"  Are  you  an  angel  ?  "  said  Fanny,  feeling 
of  the  hand  that  held  hers. 

"  No,  I'm  a  man,  my  little  girl." 

"  I  thought  you  were  one  of  those  angels 
dressed  in  white  that  mamma  told  me  about ; 
they  take  folks  to  heaven,  and  I  want  to  go 
there,  I  don't  want  to  go  home." 

They  had  now  reached  the  wretched  hovel 
that  the  child  called  her  home,  and  she  began 
to  weep  afresh. 

O,  no,  no !  I  dare  not  go  in,"  she  said, 
clinging  convulsively  to  her  protector,  "  I'm 
afraid  he  will  kill  me." 

While  she  was  speaking,  the  door  was 
roughly  flung  open,  and  her  unnatural  parent 
rushed  out,  brandishing  a  heavy  club ;  but, 
at  sight  of  the  figure  clad  in  white,  he  drop 
ped  his  bludgeon  and  ran  off,  howling  like  a 
wild  beast  deprived  of  its  prey. 


124  LITTLE  WOLF. 

With  a  glad  cry  the  child  bounded  into  the 
shanty,  and  he  heard  her  childish  voice  say 
ing  "  mamma,  don't  be  afraid  any  more,  papa 
has  gone  way  off." 

On  reaching  his  room,  the  Dr.  was  relieved 
to  find  that  his  absence  had  remained  undis 
covered,  and  he  drank  himself  off  to  sleep. 
He  was,  however,  suddenly  awakened  quite 
early  in  the  morning  by  loud  exclamations 
coming  from  daddy,  and,  in  the  intervals,  he 
distinguished  the  sound  of  the  same  childlike 
voice  which  was  associated  with  his  night's 
adventure.  Immediately  calling  his  old  ser 
vant,  he  inquired  the  meaning  of  the  commo 
tion. 

"  '  Tween  you  and  me,"  said  daddy  indig 
nantly,  "  there's  more  distruction ;  little  Fan 
ny  Green's  mother  is  dead  ;  that  brute  of  a 
husband  has  fairly  killed  her ;  knocked  her 
skull  in  with  a  club." 

"  When  did  it  happen  ?  " 

"  O,  in  the  night ;  Fanny  had  run  out  door 
for  to  get  out  of  his  reach,  and  'tween  you 
and  me,  she  says  a  man  with  a  white  dress  on 


LITTLE  WOLF.  125 

led  her  back,  and  she  found  her  mother  dead 
on  the  floor.  O  !  we're  havin'  on't  dreadful 
now  days ;  spirits  walking  the  airth,  never  no 
good  comes  of  sich  things." 

The  murder  and  the  reputed  ghost,  whom 
several  of  the  inhabitants  testified  to  having 
seen  at  the  midnight  hour,  was  the  absorbing 
topic  of  conversation  in  the  immediate  neigh 
borhood  where  the  tragedy  was  enacted. 

For  several  days  succeeding  the  affair  Hank 
Glutter's  saloon  was  the  general  rendezvous 
of  the  wonder-loving  country  people  round 
about.  All  appeared  to  enjoy  the  tippling 
vastly  more  than  Hank  himself. 

It  was  not  the  thought  of  the  needy  wife 
sighing  for  the  hard  earned  shilling,  with 
which  to  provide  for  the  many  little  forms 
that  must  go  half  clad,  and  the  little  feet  un 
covered  during  the  approaching  winter,  for 
want  of  those  bits  of  metal  ringing  out  so  sad 
ly  as  they  fell  into  his  drawer,  that  clouded 
his  unusually  complacent  smile  ;  neither  was 
it  the  remembrance  of  the  cruel  part  he  had 
acted  in  Little  Wolf's  abduction  that  shook 


126  LITTLE   WOLF. 

his  sin-stained  soul.  He  affected  to  discredit 
the  appearance  of  the  much-talked-ofappari- 
tion,  and  yet  he  was  continually  tormented 
with  a  vague  dread  of  a  second  visit  from  his 
ghost-ship,  which  he  would  have  pursuaded 
himself  was  entirely  a  creature  of  the  imagi 
nation,  had  not  his  missing  fourth  proof  bran 
dy  bottle  proved  the  contrary. 

He  had  resolved  not  to  mention  the  occur 
rence  that  had  so  strangely  disturbed  him, 
but,  being  one  day  alone  with  Edward,  who 
had  called  particularly  to  make  one  of  a  com 
pany  who  were  going  out  the  day  following 
to  renew  the  search  for  Little  Wolf,  he  ven 
tured  to  communicate  his  secret  to  him. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Glutter,  why  didn't  you  tell 
me  before  ?  "  said  Edward  smiling  in  spite  of 
the  sad  errand  that  had  brought  him  there, 
v'  all  this  tune  you  have  needlessly  tormented 
yourself."  *• 

"  How  so,  Mr.  Sherman  ?  " 

"  Why,  Dr.  DeWolf  swallows  a  portion  of 
that  fourth  proof  every  day.  I  have  no  doubt 
it  was  he  who  paid  you  the  visit.  I  am  cer- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  127 

tain  that  he  knows  something  about  the  mur 
der  of  Mrs.  Green,  and  he  must  have  been 
the  man  in  white  that  little  Fanny  talks 
about.  I  see  it  all  clearly  now ;  Dr.  DeWolf 
is  the  ghost,  and  he  has  kept  his  bed  to  pre 
vent  suspicion." 

"  I  was  confident,"  said  Hank  with  a  look 
of  infinite  relief,  "  that  the  Dr.  would  have 
his  dram,  spite  of  our  machinations.  I  have 
known  several  such  cases  of  apparently  in 
satiable  thirst,  and  it  was  impossible  to  keep 
liquor  away  from  them.  Sorrel  Top's  hus 
band,  Harry  Herrick,  was  the  worst  case  of 
the  kind  that  ever  came  under  my  observa 
tion.  He  drank  quite  moderately  at  first, 
but  suddenly  appeared  to  have  lost  all  con 
trol  over  his  appetite.  I  reasoned  with  him 
in  vain,  and  finally,  out  of  pity  to  his  family 
I  refused  him  admission  here  altogether. 
Well,  the  result  was  he  stole  from  my  cellar 
what  he  could  not  beg ;  for  the  miserable 
creature  was  penniless,  and  before  I  was 
aware  of  it,  he  actually  drank  himself  to  death. 
It  happened  while  Miss  DeWolf  was  away  at 


128  LITTLE   WOLF. 

school,  and  on  her  return  my  conduct  was 
basely  misrepresented  to  her,  and  she  espous 
ed  the  widow's  cause  and  took  her  into  her 
family,  and  ever  after  has  treated  me  with 
contempt.  However,  I  harbor  no  ill  will  to 
wards  Miss  DeWolf.  I  would  gladly  make 
one  of  your  party,  were  it  not  entirely  impos 
sible  for  me  to  leave  here ;  but  believe  me,  I 
wish  you  success,  Mr.  Sherman." 


CHAPTER   XH. 

THE  COTTAGE  nsr  THE  GROVE —  THE  DIS 
GUISE  —  BACK  TO  HEALTH  —  IMPATIENCE 
—  SEARCHING  THE  Box  —  ANTOINETTE  LA 
GLAIR'S  STORY. 

Very  sad  and  dreary  seemed  the  hours  to 
Antoinette  La  Clair,  as  she  watched  by  Lit 
tle  Wolf's  bed  side.  While  her  loving  hand 
bathed  the  burning  brow,  and  her  soft  musi 
cal  voice  soothed  the  wild  ravings  of  the  in 
valid,  she  thought  much  upon  the  strange 
loneliness  of  their  situation.  Day  after  day 
passed  by,  and  no  living  soul  approached  the 


130  LITTLE  WOLF. 

» 

cottage.  She  often  wondered  why  it's  owner 
came  not,  and  it  was  a  mystery  to  her,  why 
Bloody  Jim  had  not  discovered  their  retreat. 

From  the  first,  she  had  taken  the  precau 
tion  whenever  she  appeared  outside  to  dis 
guise  herself  in  the  various  articles  of  cloth 
ing,  which  she  found  strewn  about  the  house, 
and,  as  she  went  to  procure  water  from  the 
spring,  which  was  at  some  distance  from  the 
house,  she  would  assume  the  air  and  gait  of 
a  logy  country  boy.  Her  sun-burnt  str^w 
hat  with  its  crown  piece  flapping  about  in  the 
wind ;  great  coarse  boots  slipping  hither  and 
thither  on  her  little  feet  and  her  other  gener 
ally  loose  fitting  attire  would,  but  for  her  ab 
sorbing  anxiety,  have  excited  rather  more  than 
a  smile  on  her  usually  melancholly  counte 
nance. 

It  was  well  that  the  fact  of  having  remain 
ed  unmolested  for  nearly  three  weeks  did  not 
lesson  her  vigilance  on  one  eventful  occasion. 
It  was  about  sun  rise  ;  as  she  was  toiling  up 
the  eminence  with  a  heavy  bucket  of  water, 
which  an  occasional  mis-step  would  send 


LITTLE  WOLF.  131 

splashing  over  her  great  awkward  boots,  she 
saw  a  man  approaching  the  spring.  It  was 
Ketchum ;  and,  as  she  recognized  him,  her 
breath  came  quicker  and  she  hurried  onward 
and  upward.  She  had  nearly  reached  the  top 
of  the  hill  when  she  heard  him  calling  out, 

"  Hello  there,  boy  !  " 

She  turned  round,  sat  down  her  bucket  and 
stood  in  a  listening  attitude. 

"  I  say  boy,  who  lives  yonder  ?  " 

"  I  du,"  she  replied  in  exact  imitation  of 
'backwoodsman  twang,  and,  taking  a  step  or 
two  downward,  she  stooped  forward  and  ap 
peared  to  be  attentively  eyeing  her  new  ac 
quaintance. 

"  Be  you  the  man  they're  looking  fur  ?  " 
she  at  length  drawled  out. 

"  Who's  looking  fur  ?  "  said  he  with  a  start. 

"  Them  men  at  our  house." 

"  No,  you  fool  of  a  boy." 

The  last  she  saw  of  Ketchum  he  was  hur 
rying  off  with  all  his  might. 

Antoinette  fairly  ran  into  the  house  and 
closing  and  barring  the  door  she  fell  upon  her 


132  LITTLE  WOLF. 

knees,  and,  from  her  full  heart  went  up  to 
Heaven  a  song  of  thankfulness.  Blessings 
multiply  when  gratitude  reigns  in  the  soul ; 
so  while  Antoinette  still  knelt  a  change  came 
over  Little  Wolf  and  consciousness  returned. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  "  she  faintly  articulated,  as 
her  watchful  and  tender  nurse  arose  and  ap 
proached  the  bed. 

"  You  are  safe,  thank  God,"  said  Antoi 
nette  bursting  into  tears. 

Antoinette  now  felt  new  courage,  and, 
when  Little  Wolf  was  able  to  bear  it,  she  re 
lated  to  her  that  part  of  their  flight  of  which 
the  illness  of  the  other  prevented  her  having 
any  recollection ;  but  carefully  avoided  any 
allusion  to  her  own  personal  history. 

Little  Wolf  longed  to  penetrate  the  mystery 
that  hung  over  her  benefactress,  and  she 
would  often  say  to  herself,  as  she  sat  propped 
up  with  pillows  watching  Antoinette's  quiet 
movements  about  the  house,  fc'  how  I  wish  I 
knew  more  about  her;  what  a  romance  !  " 

But  as  her  strength  increased,  other  desires 
shared  her  thoughts  more  largely. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  133 

"  How  are  we  to  get  out  of  this  place  ?  " 
she  frequently  exclaimed,  and,  as  often,  An 
toinette  would  meekly  reply,  "  The  Lord  will 
provide  a  way." 

"  Well  why  don't  the  Lord  provide  a  way 
to  get  us  away  from  here  ?  "  she  said  one  day 
rather  impatiently  as  she  sat  by  the  window 
looking  out  into  the  sunshine,  "  I'm  sure  I'm 
well  enough  to  travel  now,  and  winter  is  com 
ing  on  and,  when  once  the  snow  falls,  we 
shall  freeze  and  starve  shut  up  here." 

"  We  shall  hardly  freeze  with  that  big  wood 
pile  at  the  door,  or  starve  with  a  cellar  full  of 
vegetables,"  said  Antoinette  pleasantly. 

"  O  Antoinette,  I'm  sure  your  faith  hangs 
on  the  cellar  and  woodpile ;  but,  dear  me, 
I've  seen  neither  ;  I  must  peep  into  the  cel 
lar  right  away." 

"  Let  me  lift  the  door  for  you  Miss  De- 
Wolf." 

A  light  trap  door  led  to  the  vegetable  king 
dom  underneath.  One  glance  at  the  pota 
toes,  cabbages  and  onions,  which  were  only 
a  part  of  the  products  of  the  garden,  piled  up 


134  LITTLE  WOLF. 

in  this  ten  by  twelve  hole  in  the  ground  was 
enough,  as  Little  Wolf  declared,  to  strength 
en  the  weakest  faith. 

"  Now,  if  we  only  had  wings,  we  might 
mount  to  that  nice  dried  venison  in  the  gar 
ret,"  she  said,  glancing  upward  through  a 
square  opening  cut  in  the  rough  boards  over 
head.  "  I  wonder  how  they  managed  to  hang 
it  so  high  ;  I  do  believe  the  place  has  been  in 
habited  by  a  giant.  Now  where  shall  we 
hide  when  we  see  him  coming  ?  O,  I'll  get 
into  that  huge  chest,  we  little  folks  might 
both  hide  there.  I  wonder  I  hadn't  thought 
of  it  before.  Why  I'm  just  beginning  to  feel 
like  myself ;  I  see  how  it  is,  I've  been  petted 
and  babied  too  long.  Please  help  me  lift 
this  heavy  lid.  O,  its  locked  —  O  here's  the 
key  sticking  just  in  this  niche,  O  —  what  a 
sight ! " 

Here  indeed  our  heroine  had  penetrated  in 
to  the  mysteries  of  a  heterogeneous  mass. 
Cooking  utensils,  carpenters'  tools,  crockery, 
salt,  pepper,  and  various  other  condiments 
used  in  the  culinary  department  were  hud- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  135 

died  together  in'  one  end,  while  the  remaind 
er  of  the  space  was  appropriated  to  books  and 
clothing,  and  a  bachelor's  work  box,  which, 
for  all  the  order  it  boasted,  might  have  be 
longed  to  the  indulgent  mother  of  ten  child 
ren. 

Antoinette  watched  her  friend  with  an 
amused  expression  of  countenance,  as  she  flew 
from  one  article  to  another  really  delighted 
to  find  some  amusement,  however  simple,  to 
while  away  the  tedious  hours. 

"  O,  John  Hanford  is  our  landlord's  name. 
Here  it  is  on  the  fly  leaf  of  this  book,  and 
here  is  a  book  purporting  to  be  the  property 
of  Antoinette  La  Clare.  Why  Antoinette,  I 
thought  the  honor  of  discovering  the  contents 
of  this  box  belonged  to  me ;  but  really  I  see 
you  have  been  here  before  me." 

"  No,  Miss  DeWolf,  I  never  saw  the  inside 
of  the  box  before,  I  thought  there  was  no 
key." 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  Why  what  does  it  mean  ? 
Here  is  surely  an  old  bible  with  your  name 


136  UTTLE  WOLF. 

written  in  it  in  full,  '  Antoinette  La  Clare,' 
now  here  it  is,  you  can  see  for  yourself. 

Antoinette  eagerly  took  the  book,  and,  hav 
ing  examined  the  name,  proceeded  to  look  it 
carefully  through.  It  was  a  pocket  bible  of 
the  English  version  in  old  fashioned  binding, 
and  bore  marks  of  long  and  frequent  use. 

Little  Wolf  watched  Antoinette's  varying 
countenance  as  she  turned  over  the  leaves. 
A  ray  of  pleasure,  at  first,  lighted  up  her  sad, 
wistful  face,  but  slowly  faded  leaving  her  ap 
parently  more  wan  and  sad  than  ever,  as  she 
returned  the  volume  in  silence. 

A  vague  suspicion  of  evil  crept  into  Little 
"Wolf  s  mind.  How  came  Antoinette's  name 
in  the  book  and  why  was  she  so  silent,  and 
why  had  she  appeared  so  satisfied  to  remain 
where  they  were,  if  she  knew  no  more  about 
their  present  abode  than  she  had  professed, 
were  a  few  of  the  many  questions,  which 
awakened  distrust,  suggested  to  her  busy 
brain. 

The  chest  had  lost  its  interest  and  down 
came  the  cover  with  a  bang,  sadly  startling 


LITTLE  WOLF.  137 

poor  Antoinette,  who  had  walked  to  the  win 
dow  to  hide  her  fast  falling  tears. 

Little  Wolf  saw  the  tears  and  Antoinette 
felt  that  she  had  seen  them,  and  the  way  was 
made  easy  for  her  to  say,  "  O,  Miss  DeWolf, 
I'm  a  child  of  sorrow.  I  am  sometimes  almost 
overwhelmed  with  sorrow.  Come,  let  us  sit 
down  together,  and  I  will  try  to  tell  you  why 
it  is.  It  seems  but  a  few  days  since  I  gaily 
roamed  about  my  childhood's  home,  hand  in 
hand  with  brother  Jim,  or  bloody  Jim,  as  he 
is  called." 

"  Bloody  Jim  your  brother !  It  cannot  be 
so  !  "  interrupted  Little  Wolf  in  amazement, 
"  I  thought  he  was  a  half  breed." 

"  So  he  is  a  half  breed  ;  and  he  is  also  my 
half  brother  ;  my  father  was  of  French  descent 
and,  when  a  young  man,  he  went  to  the  Red 
River  country  and  engaged  in  trapping,  and 
trading  with  the  Indians.  For  several  years 
he  made  his  home  principally  among  the  Chip- 
pewas,  and,  like  many  others  of  his  class, 
married  an  Indian  women ;  brother  Jim  was 
the  fruit  of  this  marriage.  His  mother  was 


138  LITTLE  WOLF. 

accidentally  drowned  when  he  was  quite  an 
infant ;  soon  afterwards  my  father  returned 
to  Canada,  leaving  his  li ttle  son  in  charge  of 
his  Indian  grandmother.  \Vhile  there  he  be 
came  acquainted  with  my  mother,  whom  he 
made  his  wife  with  the  understanding  that 
she  should  accompany  him  to  his  wild  home 
and  be  a  mother  to  his  motherless  child.  Per 
haps  it  may  be  a  mystery  to  you,  Miss  De- 
Wolf,  that  a  young  and  cultivated  woman 
could  have  been  so  readily  induced  to  expose 
herself  to  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  fron 
tier  life." 

"  O,  no  !  "  broke  in  Little  Wolf,  enthusias 
tically,  "not  if  she  did  it  for  love." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  love,  Miss  De 
Wolf?" 

A  conscious  blush  overspread  the  pale 
young  face,  for  Antoinette  accompanied  the 
question  with  a  wistful  enquiring  look,  that 
seemed  to  reach  to  her  very  heart. 

"  O  nothing,  my  very  good,  penetrating 
friend  ;  please  go  on  with  your  story.  Was 
your  mother  happy  ?  "  she  asked  with  a  kind 


LITTLE   WOLF.  139 

of  nervous  haste,  as  if  to  compel  an  immedi 
ate  compliance  with  her  request. 

"  I  can  not  say,"  said  Antoinette  very  oblig 
ingly  relieving  the  embarrassment  she  had 
occasioned,  "  I  should  think  she  must  have 
been  happy,  though,  for  I  believe  her  short 
life  was  a  very  useful  one.  She  died  at  my 
birth  having  been  a  wife  but  one  year.  Dur 
ing  that  time,  she  had  by  many  acts  of  kind 
ness  greatly  endeared  herself  to  the  savages, 
and  the  young  Indian  woman,  who  had  assist 
ed  her  in  nursing  brother  Jim,  for  the  love  she 
bore  my  mother,  reared  her  little  daughter 
with  unusually  tender  care.  My  father  sur 
vived  her  loss  but  a  few  weeks,  and  then 
brother  Jim  and  myself  were  thrown  entirely 
upon  the  care  of  our  kind  nurse.  My  mother 
had  taught  her  to  read  and  she  in  turn  impart 
ed  such  instruction  to  us  as  she  had  received, 
or  rather  I  should  say  her  pains  were  mostly 
bestowed  upon  me,  for  I  was  her  pet. 

Brother  Jim  grew  up  like  the  savages 
around  him,  only,  if  possible,  more  vindictive 
and  revengeful  in  his  nature.  I  was  the  only 


140  LITTLE   WOLF. 

being  for  whom  he  seemed  to  entertain  the 
least  affection,  and  he  certainly  lavished  upon 
me  wonderful  tenderness  and  love.  In  his 
early  youth  he  gathered  for  me  the  rarest 
flowers,  and,  as  he  grew  older,  he  brought  me 
game  and  the  choicest  fruits,  and  seemed 
never  so  happy  as  when  promoting  my  com 
fort.  For  my  amusement  he  brought  me  a 
violin  from  the  distant  settlement  of  Pembin- 
aw,  and  at  length,  gratified  my  curiosity  by 
taking  me  with  him  in  one  of  his  frequent 
visits  thither.  While  there  my  fair  skin  at 
tracted  the  attention  of  a  missionary's  family, 
and  as  brother  Jim  was  rather  proud  of  my 
parentage,  they  readily  elicited  a  correct  ac 
count  of  my  birth  from  him,  and  by  appealing 
to  his  pride,  at  length  wrung  from  him  a  reluc 
tant  consent  to  place  me  for  a  time  under  their 
tutorage,  where,  beside  making  rapid  pro 
gress,  I  cultivated  my  naturally  correct  taste 
for  music.  Under  their  hospitable  roof,  amid 
the  refinements  and  courtisies  of  civilized  life 
I  spent  many  happy  months." 

"  At  length  the  last  painful  illness  of  my 


LITTLE   WOLF.  141 

faithful  nurse,  who  had  never  ceased  to  mourn 
my  absence,  recalled  me  to  her.  After  her 
death  I  was  exceedingly  sad  and  lonely,  and, 
to  add  to  my  sorrows,  brother  Jim  had  acquir 
ed  a  love  for  strong  drink,  and  frequently 
came  to  our  lodge  in  a  state  of  intoxication. 
I  grieved  over  his  infatuation  and  reasoned 
with  him  in  his  sober  hours,  but  all  in  vain  ; 
he  grew  worse  and  worse,  and  often  treated 
me  harshly,  In  despair  I  went  to  the  trader 
who  I  knew  supplied  him  with  whiskey  and 
entreated  him  with  tears  not  to  sell  him  any 
more.  I  received  from  him  only  insults." 

"  Of  course,  you  might  have  known  what 
to  expect  from  one  of  that  class,"  said  Little 
Wolf  with  flashing  eyes,  "  I  discovered  long 
ago,  that  there  was  no  mercy  in  the  heart  of 
the  liquor  dealer.  They  know  it's  a  mean 
business  and  any  one  who  engages  in  it  must 
first  harden  his  heart  enough  to  turn  away 
from  tears  of  blood." 

"  I  don't  think  all  who  engage  in  the  traffic 
realize  the  consequences  accruing  from  it," 
Antoinette  mildly  replied.  "  I  am  sure  no 


142  LITTLE  WOLF. 

humane  person  would  continue  in  it,  if  they 
once  took  into  consideration  the  vast  amount 
of  misery  occasioned  by  it.  I  am  sure  brother 
Jim  was  bad  enough  before  he  began  to  drink  ; 
but  after  that  he  became  as  unmanageable 
as  a  wild  beast.  Still,  alone  in  the  Avorld,  I 
clung  to  him  with  all  the  warm  affection  of 
my  nature. 

"  A  few  months  after  the  death  of  my  nurse, 
he  was  pursuaded  to  join  a  party  from  Pem- 
binaw,  who  were  going  on  their  annual  visit  to 
St.  Paul  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the 
whites.  At  my  earnest  request  he  permit 
ted  me  to  accompany  him.  I  was  then  in  my 
fifteenth  year,  and  mere  child  as  I  was,  he 
left  me  the  first  day  of  our  arrival  entirely 
alone  in  our  encampment  at  St.  Paul,  while 
he  went  with  the  rest  of  the  company  to  the 
city. 

"By  chance  a  gentleman  passing,  heard 
the  sound  of  the  violin,  with  which  I  was  be 
guiling  the  tedious  hours,  and  came  into  my 
tent.  At  first  I  was  quite  alarmed  at  sight 
of  a  stranger,  but  his  words  and  manner  im- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  143 

mediately  won  my  confidence,  and  put  my 
fears  to  rest,  and,  I  confess,  I  was  lonelier 
when  he  left  me  and  glad  when  he  came  again. 
He  knew  my  unprotected  situation,  and  al 
ways  made  it  a  point  to  come  when  brother 
Jim  was  absent.  It  would  be  quite  impossi 
ble  for  me  to  describe  to  you  the  subtile  in 
fluence  which  this  person  gained  over  me.  I 
learned  to  love  him  with  all  the  ardor  of  which 
my  passionate  and  imaginative  nature  was 
capable.  It  was  the  first  unbounded  devotion 
of  a  warm  and  innocent  heart  that  he  betray 
ed.  I  have  no  words  with  which  to  convey 
an  adequate  idea  of  the  anguish  which  I  suf 
fered  at  parting  with  him.  He  promised  to 
follow  me  and  make  me  his  wife,  but  he  nev 
er  came,  and  at  a  time  when  I  was  least  able 
to  bear  it,  I  was  subject  to  brother  Jim's  fury. 
His  cruelty  brought  me  near  to  death,  and 
my  sufferings  only  aggravated  his  bitterness 
and  wrath.  With  awful  curses  he  swore  ven 
geance  011  the  man  for  whom  I  would  even 
then  have  laid  down  my  life. 

"  As  soon  as  my  strength  would  permit,  I 


144  LITTLE  WOLF. 

fled  to  my  friends  at  Pembinaw.  I  told  them 
all,  even  of  my  shame,  which  a  little  grave 
had  forever  hid  from  the  world.  Like  true 
Christians  they  soothed  my  sorrows,  and  gave 
me  the  place  in  their  family  which  their  only 
daughter,  who  had  married  and  left  them 
during  my  absence,  had  occupied.  Several 
years  had  passed  away,  and  the  good  mission 
ary  died.  His  wife  soon  followed  him,  and  I 
was  again  left  alone.  I  had  never  seen  broth 
er  Jim  since  I  left  him,  but  had  frequently 
heard  of  his  wicked  deeds.  I  thought  now 
that  I  would  go  with  my  life  in  my  hand  and 
seek  him  out  and  try  once  more  by  affection 
ate  pursuasion,  to.  induce  him  to  give  up  his 
reckless  life.  Accordingly,  I  mounted  my 
pony  and  set  out  for  my  former  wild  home. 
Reaching  the  lodge  after  nightfall,  to  my  sur 
prise  I  heard  Voices  within.  I  did  not  go  in, 
but  stood  listening  at  the  entrance.  I  heard 
brother  Jim  and  his  companions  propose  a 
plan  to  capture  you.  They  were  to  start  that 
very  night ;  so  I  hid  myself  among  the  trees 
and  waited  until  they  were  gone.  Then 


LITTLE  WOLF.  145 

I  went  in  for  the  night,  and  the  next  morning 
set  out  to  do  what  I  could  towards  rescuing 
you. 

"  Now  I  have  told  you  all,  Miss  DeWolf, 
and  our  Heavenly  Father  alone  knows  our 
future.  As  for  my  name  in  that  bible,  you 
know  as  much  about  it  as  I  do.  I  never  saw 
the  book  before." 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

TWOFOLD  AGONY — DR.  GOODEICH'S  PROM 
ISE  —  HOME  AGAIN  —  LILLY  FOOT  —  THE 
CONVALESCENT  —  THE  NEIGHBORHOOD 
WEDDING  —  NEWS  FROM  CHIMNEY  ROCK 
—  THE  SHERMAN  FAMILY  AT  THE  WEST. 

lEDWARD  Sherman  was  still  where  we 
|left  him,  listening  graciously  to  the  pre- 
^tended  good  wishes  of  Hank  Glutter, 
when  Dr.  Goodrich,  who  happened  to  pass 
that  way,  saw  him  through  the  window  and 
beckoned  him  out  side. 

"  I  expected  to  have  met  you  at  Dr.  De- 
Wolf's,"  said  he,  "  and  I  brought  a  letter  for 
you. " 


LITTLE  WOLF.  147 

Edward  took  the  letter  and  read  it  careful 
ly  through,  turning  very  pale  as  he  did  so. 
It  was  from  his  sister  Louise,  and  contained 
a  brief  account  of  the  dangerous  illness  of  his 
mother,  with  a  request  for  his  immediate  pres 
ence  at  home.  His  extreme  paleness  and  the 
trembling  hand,  with  which  he  in  silence  of 
fered  the  open  sheet  for  the  Doctor's  persual 
were  all  the  outward  sign  of  his  soul's  agony  ; 
agony  for  a  beloved  and  dying  mother ;  agony 
for  the  beloved,  lost  one,  for  whom,  in  com 
pany  with  a  few  friends,  he  was  about  to  go 
in  quest. 

While  the  Doctor  was  running  over  the  com 
munication,  Edward  tried  to  calm  the  surg 
ing  tempest  within,  sufficiently  to  decide  him 
how  to  act. 

"  Doctor,  "  said  he,  "  I  must  go  to  mother, 
can  you,  I  know  it  will  be  difficult,  but  can  you 
take  my  place  in  the  company  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  I  will  go,  and,  by  the  love  I  bear  your 
sister,  I  promise  to  do  what  I  can." 

"  Let  me  hear  from  you  by  mail,"  said  Ed 
ward,  wringing  his  hand. 


148  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Edward  had  now  barely  time  to  return  to 
Pendleton,  and  hastily  get  his  trunk  in  readi 
ness  for  the  forthcoming  steamer. 

At  the  sound  of  the  bell  he  was  ready  to 
embark  and  a  few  days  rapid  travelling 
brought  him  worn  and  weary  to  the  old  home 
stead.  It  was  evening  when  he  arrived,  and, 
as  he  approached  the  house,  he  saw  a  light  in 
his  mother's  room.  His  apprehensions  were 
so  great  that  he  had  not  the  courage  to  enter, 
and,  listening  near  the  window,  he  distin 
guished  his  mother's  voice  in  conversation 
with  Louise. 

"  I  would  not  be  surprised  to  see  him  this 
very  evening,"  he  heard  his  sister  say. 

"  Miss  Louise,"  called  out  Recta's  familiar 
voice.  "  Miss  Louise,  won't  you  please  ccrme 
here  quick.  Old  Spot  has  got  into  the  front 
yard ;  there  she  is  nibbling  at  that  rose  bush 
under  the  window.  I  can't  see  nothing  but 
the  white  spot  in  her  face ;  but  I  know  it 
must  be  her,  she's  such  an  unruly  critter ; 
won't  you  just  hold  the  light  while  I  hist  her 
out?" 


LITTLE   WOLF.  149 

"  O  Where's  Lilly  Foot,"  said  Louise, 
"  she'll  drive  her  out  while  you  open  the  gate. 
Here,  Lilly  Foot." 

Lilly  Foot  came  growling  along  from  the 
vicinity  of  the  barn,  where,  after  the  fatigue 
of  bringing  the  cows  from  the  distant  mead 
ow,  she  had  gone  to  rest  and  recruit  for  night 
watching. 

Having  forgotten  at  the  beginning  of  our 
story  to  introduce  Lilly  Foot  under  the  fami 
ly  head  we  will  pause  for  a  moment  and  give 
her  the  notice  to  which  her  position  and  worth 
entitle  her.  She  was  a  very  respectable  look 
ing  animal  of  the  canine  species  originally 
coal  black  with  the  exception  of  one  white 
foot,  from  which  she  derived  her  name,  but 
now  grown  grey  in  the  service  of  the  family. 

From  puppyhood  to  old  age,  this  faithful 
creature  had  made  it  her  daily  business  to 
keep  the  cows,  sheep,  pigs,  and  poultry  each 
in  their  proper  places,  and,  having  been  raised 
on  a  quiet,  orderly  New  England  farm,  had 
never  in  the  course  of  her  whole  life,  had  oc 
casion  to  perform  more  onerous  nightly  duties 


150  LITTLE   WOLF. 

than  to  sleep  with  one  eye  open ;  consequent 
ly,  she  had  come  to  consider  regular  rest  as 
her  lawful  right,  and  was  in  no  mood  to  bear 
the  present  encroachment. 

"  I  believe  the  dog  is  getting  old  and  cross," 
said  Recta  in  a  voice  very  like  that  which  had 
occasioned  her  censure.  "  Here  Lilly  Foot, 
there's  Old  Spot ;  take  her." 

The  words  had  scarcely  left  Recta's  lips  be 
fore  Lilly  Foot  saw  and  flew  violently  at  the 
object  indicated, 

"  Lilly  Foot." 

They  all  heard  —  Edward's  voice  that  came 
from  the  rose  bush,  and  it  would  be  difficult 
to  say  from  which  of  the  three,  Louise,  Recta, 
or  Lilly  Foot,  he  received  the  wannest  greet 
ing- 

Mrs.  Sherman  had  passed  the  crisis  of  her 
disease,  and  Edward,  assured  of  her  conva- 
lesence,  sought  her  bedside  with  a  buoyant 
step. 

"  My  dear  son,  to  have  you  here  is  all  the 
medicine  I  need  now,"  she  said,  as  she  held 
him  to  her  bosom. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  151 

The  first  greetings  over,  Edward's  unnatu 
ral  strength  produced  by  anxiety  and  excite 
ment  gave  way,  and  he  lay  down  to  rest  that 
night  prostrated  in  body  and  mind. 

Confused  images  of  his  mother,  Little 
Wolf,  and  Bloody  Jim  crowded  his  unquiet 
dreams,  and  he  awoke  in  the  morning  com 
paratively  unrefreshed,  and  the  old  load  in 
his  bosom  but  little  lightened.  Soon  after 
breakfast  he  signified  his  intention  of  riding 
over  to  the  Post  Office,  two  miles  distant. 

"  O  no,"  said  his  sister  playfully,  "  mother 
will  be  disappointed ;  she  expects  to  have  you 
all  to  herself  this  morning.  I  made  it  a  point 
to  go  for  the  mail  every  day  until  she  was 
taken  sick.  Let  me  go  this  time,  I  really 
need  a  horseback  ride.  If  I  get  a  letter  for 
you,  you  shall  have  it  in  just  fifteen  minutes." 

"  From  now  ?  " 

"  No  ;  from  the  time  I  get  it." 

"I  am  overruled,"  laughed  Edward,  and 
he  went  to  his  mother's  room.  Scarcely  had 
he  seated  himself  when  Mrs.  Sherman  en 
quired, 


152  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  Has  Dr.  DeWolf 's  daughter  been  found 
yet,  Edward  ?  " 

«'  No,  mother." 

"  How  dreadful !  Dr.  Goodrich  said  in  his 
last  letter  he  had  but  little  hope  of  seeing  her 
alive.  I  was  gratified  to  hear  that  you  were 
in  pursuit,  and  that  you  were  situated  so  you 
could  do  your  father's  old  friend  a  favor.  I 
wish  you  would  tell  me  the  particulars  of  the 
sad  affair." 

Mrs.  Sherman  wondered  at  Edward's  pro 
longed  silence,  as  he  sat  there  utterly  unable 
to  say  a  word.  She  was  beginning  to  have  a 
vague  conception  of  the  truth,  when  he  turn 
ed  to  her  and  said  in  a  voice  which  the  effort 
to  control  rendered  scarcely  audible. 

"  Mother,  I  expected  to  have  made  Miss 
De  Wolf  my  wife.  I  can  not  talk  about  it 
now." 

But  Mrs.  Sherman  led  him  gently  on  by 
means  which  true  mothers  know  so  well  how 
to  use,  to  unburden  his  heart,  and  ere  long 
her  sympathy  ran  so  high  as  to  propose  that 
he  should  return  to  Minnesota,  and  if  need 


LITTLE  WOLF.  153 

he  should  return  to  Minnesota,  and  if  need 
be  spend  the  winter  there. 

"  If  I  could  take  you  and  Louise  with  me," 
said  he. 

Just  then  Louise  came,  in  high  spirits. 

"  O  mother,"  said  she,  "  you  must  hurry 
and  get  well  in  time  to  attend  Maria  Dole's 
wedding.  I  met  her  going  to  shop.  She 
wants  me  to  be  one  of  her  bridesmaids.  Now 
guess  who  she  is  going  to  marry ;  but  of 
course  you'd  never  guess  for  you  are  not  ac 
quainted  with  the  gentleman  ;  so  I  may  as 
well  tell  you  at  once  ;  John  Hauford,  from  the 
wilds  of  Minnesota.  Maria  says  she  is  afraid 
of  being  carried  off  by  the  bears,  but  still  too 
willing  to  venture  a  home  in  the  woods  for 
her  dear  Johnny's  sake.  I  did  not  tell  her 
about  Dr.  DeWolf  s  daughter,  I  was  afraid  it 
would  stop  the  wedding,  Maria  is  such  a  timid 
creature.  Brother,  do  tell  me  about  that  hor 
rible  affair." 

"  Tell  her  mother,"  said  Edward  and  im 
mediately  left  the  room. 

While  Mrs.  Sherman  was  explaining  the 


154  LITTLE  WOLF. 

matter,  Edward  was  walking  up  and  down 
the  lawn  in  front  of  the  house,  vainly  consid 
ering  the  probabilities  of  a  favorable  termina 
tion  of  his  troubles. 

"What  can  we  do  for  poor  Edward  ?"  said 
Louise,  after  a  long  silence,  "  I  think  he 
ought  to  go  back." 

"  He  was  saying  when  you  came  in  if  he 
could  only  take  you  and  me." 

"  Well  why  not  ?  "  said  Louise  eagerly,  "  I 
am  sure  if  you  keep  on  getting  well  as  rapid 
ly  as  you  have  for  a  few  days  you'll  be  about 
the  house  in  a  week." 

"  When  we  hear  from  Dr.  Goodrich,  my 
dear,  we  shall  be  better  able  to  decide  what 
is  best  for  us  to  do." 

"  Then  all  we  can  do  is  to  wait  in  patience." 

Wait  they  did  for  over  a  week  before  the 
looked-for  intelligence  arrived,  and  the  fol 
lowing  is  the  contents  of  Dr.  Goodrich's  let 
ter. 

"  DEAR  SHERMAN.  All  our  efforts  have 
proved  unavailing.  We  could  not  find  the 
least  clue  to  aid  us  in  our  search.  I  am  now 


LITTLE  WOLF.  155 

inclined  to  think  that  Miss  DeWolf  has  vol 
untarily  secreted  herself  until  such  times  as 
she  hopes  to  return  unmolested  by  Bloody 
Jim,  whom,  if  my  conjectures  are  correct,  she 
no  doubt  thinks  still  at  large.  As  for  Bloody 
Jim  his  lips  are  forever  closed.  In  attempt 
ing  to  escape  from  prison  last  evening  he  was 
shot  dead. 

I  learn  with  pleasure  from  your  letter 
which  I  have  just  received,  that  your  moth 
er's  health  is  rapidly  improving.  Take  cour 
age  Ned,  the  same  hand  that  restored  one 
loved  one  can  also  restore  the  other.  You 
say  you  must  return.  Why  not  bring  your 
mother  and  sister  with  you  ?  A  change  of 
climate  would  no  doubt  benefit  both.  I  think 
there  will  be  time  for  you  to  come  before 
navigation  closes.  The  weather  continues 
splendid.  I  am  now  at  Dr.  DeWolf's.  He 
is  worse  again  ;  I  think  he  cannot  last  long. 
He  is  literally  drinking  himself  to  death. 
Mrs.  Hawley  still  attends  on  him.  Sorrel  Top 
and  daddy  do  not  get  along  very  well  togeth 
er,  but  between  them  the  Doctor's  house  is 
well  cared  for. 

If  it  will  be  any  comfort  to  you  I  will  say 
that  I  have  sanguine  expectations  of  again 
seeing  Miss  DeWolf  safe  at  home, 


156  LITTLE   WOLF. 

Yours  with  more  sympathy  than  I  can  ex 
press. 

G.  GOODEICH." 

Louise  received  a  letter  from  the  same  hand, 
but  it  being  an  entirely  private  affair  we  can 
only  speculate  upon  its  contents.  Doubtless 
among  other  things  there  were  unanswerable 
arguments  in  favor  of  a  western  trip,  for 
when  the  reading  was  over,  she  was  the  first 
one  to  say. 

"  I  think  we  had  all  better  get  ready  as 
soon  as  we  can  and  start  for  Minnesota." 

Edward  being  of  the  same  mind,  and  Mrs. 
Sherman  willing  to  gratify  her  children,  it 
was  not  many  days  before  the  arrangments 
were  all  made  for  the  journey.  Recta  and 
Lilly  Foot  were  to  be  left  in  sole  charge  of  the 
house  ;  the  tenant  having  promised  the  assist 
ance  of  one  of  his  sons  when  required. 

The  wedding  ceremony  of  John  Hanford 
and  Maria  Dole  having  been  performed  the 
evening  previous  to  their  departure,  they 
traveled  in  company  with  the  bridal  pair. 

Maria   Dole  was  the  only  daughter  of  a 


LITTLE   WOLF.  157 

neighboring  farmer,  and  the  two  girls  had 
from  childhood  been  on  intimate  terms,  and 
Louise  had  hoped  some  day  to  call  her  sister ; 
but  she  loved  the  gentle  girl  none  the  less  for 
the  step  she  had  taken,  and  Edward's  regard 
for  her  seemed  to  have  suddenly  increased. 
The  conduct  of  her  husband  who  was  a  bash 
ful  soul,  exceedingly  shy,  and  sparing  of  his 
husbandly  attentions,  gave  Edward  frequent 
opportunities  during  their  trip  of  cultivating 
a  more  familiar  acquaintance  with  her  than 
he  had  ever  imagined  possible. 

"  Some  women  appear  to  better  advantage 
after  marriage  and  Maria  Dole  is  one  of  them," 
he  said  hi  a  very  decided  manner  to  his  sister 
after  having  been  engaged  in  a  long  conver 
sation  with  the  newly-made  wife.  "  She  can 
converse  now  and  she  never  could  before." 

"  You  mean,  brother,  you  were  afraid  of 
each  other  before.  It  was  my  fault ;  you  both 
knew  what  my  wishes  were,  and  it  spoiled  all. 
To  have  carried  out  the  romance  of  the  thing, 
you  ought  to  have  discovered  her  perfections 
before  it  was  too  late." 


158  LITTLE   WOLF. 

Louise  quite  forgot  for  the  moment  her 
brother's  affliction,  but  on  second  thought  said 
no  more. 

"  I  am  sorry  Mr.  Hanford  is  going  to  take 
her  so  far  from  any  settlement,"  said  Edward, 
not  appearing  to  notice  what  had  been  said, 
"  he  tells  me  his  nearest  neighbor  is  ten  miles 
distant." 

"  How  lonely  Maria  will  be,  I'm  glad  we 
are  all  to  visit  her  in  the  Spring,"  said  Louise, 
alluding  to  a  promise  made  to  that  effect. 

"  Mr.  Hanford  rather  insists  upon  my  going 
out  with  them  now,  but  I  could  not  promise 
until  I  had  seen  the  Doctor.  If  I  decide  to 
go  I  can  overtake  him  by  the  next  steamer, 
as  he  will  stop  for  a  day  or  two  at  St.  Paul.'' 

The  next  day  after  the  above  conversation, 
the  party  having  arrived  at  Pendleton,  separ 
ated  ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanford  continuing  up 
the  river  to  the  head  of  navigation,  while  the 
Sherman  family  were  introduced  to  comforta 
ble  quarters  provided  by  the  forethought  of 
Dr.  Goodrich. 

By  the  advice  of  his  friends,  who  plainly 


LITTLE   WOLF. 


159 


saw,  that  under  the  circumstances,  he  could 
not  content  himself  to  remain  where  he  was, 
Edward  decided  to  join  Mr.  Hanford  at  St. 
Paul,  and  the  following  chapter  will  chroni 
cle  the  result. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

ROUGH  ROADS  —  THE  HAPPY  BEIDEGKOOM 
—  JACOB  MENTOR'S  EXPERIENCE — FAIRY 
KNOLL  —  A  JOYFUL  MEETING. 

HE  prospect  of  a  change  from  steam- 
K :  boat  navigation,  always  so  delightful  on 

the  upper  Mississippi,  to  jolting  and 
jarring  over  a  rough  extent  of  country  in  a 
heavy,  lumbering  wagon,  suited  to  the  unim 
proved  state  of  the  roads,  was  anything  but 
agreeable  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanford,  as  they 
surveyed  the  uncomely  vehicle  drawn  up  be 
fore  their  hotel. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  161 

Edward  had  overtaken  them,  and  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hanford,  stood  waiting  on  the  porch, 
while  Mr.  Hanford  made  every  arrangement 
for  their  comfort,  of  which  the  state  of  the 
case  would  admit.  The  cushions  and  buffa- 
los  at  length  fixed  to  his  satisfaction  he  assist 
ed  in  his  wife,  and  after  a  small  strife,  in 
which  each  contended  for  the  seat  which 
neither  wanted,  Edward  prevailed,  and  plant 
ed  himself  beside  the  driver,  while  Mr.  Han 
ford,  looking  remarkably  happy  for  a  van 
quished  man,  took  his  place  beside  his  wife. 

The  sober  driver,  Jacob  Mentor  by  name, 
looked  over  his  shoulder  and  carefully  sua* 
veyed  his  load  before  starting.  The  trunks 
were  firmly  strapped  on  behind,  and  a  half  a 
dozen  chairs  were  also  disposed  of  in  the 
same  way.  A  small  sized  dining  table,  bed 
downward,  rested  behind  the  seats,  so  hug 
ged  up  by  boxes  and  bundles,  that  it  appear 
ed  impossible  for  any  number  of  bumps  or 
thumps  to  disturb  its  quiet.  The  two  beam 
ing  faces,  just  in  the  van  of  all  this  array,  did 
not  escape  the  eyes  of  honest  Jacob. 


162  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  I  guess  yer  pretty  comfortable  to  start 
on,"  said  he. 

"  All  right,"  said  Mr.  Hanford,  <k  drive  on." 

It  would  be  a  matter  of  surprise  how  it  had 
entered  into  the  head  of  a  plain,  common- 
sense,  matter-of-fact  young  man  like  John 
Hanford,  to  bestow  the  name  of  "  Fairy- 
Knoll  "  on  the  little  hillock  in  the  wilderness, 
where  stood  his  solitary  cabin,  did  we  not  re 
member  that  at  the  time  he  was  completely 
under  love's  influence.  The  name  given  un 
der  such  circumstances  was  music  to  him  as 
it  fell  frequently  from  the  lips  of  his  young 
tride  on  their  toilsome  journey  thither. 

"  I  hope  the  fairies  at  Fairy  Knoll  will  have 
a  nice  fire  to  welcome  us,  she  said,  as  the  day 
was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  they  were  near- 
ing  her  future  home. 

"  Are  you  very  cold  ?  "  said  her  husband, 
drawing  her  more  closely  to  his  side. 

The  day  had  been  unusually  chilly,  and 
towards  night  the  autumn  winds  got  up  a 
boisterous  frolic,  and  swept  past,  dashing  from 
their  wings  light  flurries  of  snow  directly  in 


LITTLE   WOLF.  163 

the  faces  of  our  travelers,  and  the  delicate 
bride,  unused  to  such  rough  play,  had  at  last 
hid  her  face  behind  her  veil  and  wished  for 
the  warm  fireside.  Before  she  had  had  time 
to  reply  to  Mr.  Hanford's  question,  Edward 
produced  a  neat  little  flask  encased  in  silver, 
and  unfastening  from  the  stopper  a  tiny  cup 
of  the  same  make,  he  filled  it  with  the  spark 
ling  fluid,  at  the  same  time  giving  orders  for 
the  wagon  to  stop. 

"  Now  here  is  something  almost  equal  to  a 
warm  fire,"  he  said  offering  Mrs.  Hanford  the 
cup. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  said  she,  hesitatingly. 

"  Pure  domestic  wine,  some  of  Col.  Wilson's 
best,  he  presented  it  to  me  just  before  I  left 
home,  and  gave  me  his  word  it  was  unadul 
terated,"  said  Edward,  with  great  assurance. 

"  Col.  Wilson's  wines  are  justly  popular," 
said  Mrs.  Hanford,  sipping  the  beverage  ;  but 
it  is  whispered  that  the  Colonel  uses  alcohol  in 
their  preparation." 

"  O,  very  likely,"  said  Edward  carelessly. 
"I- have  no  doubt  of  it,  but  this  he  assured 


164  LITTLE   WOLF. 

me  was  unadulterated.  Have  some,  Mr. 
Hanford  ?  " 

"  I  don't  care  if  I  do.  It  is  really  very 
fine,"  he  said,  returning  the  cup,  "  quite  stim 
ulating,  but  I  prefer  a  little  brandy  to  any 
other  stimulant ;  it  takes  right  hold." 

"  You  surely  don't  drink  brandy  !  "  exclam- 
ed  the  young  wife,  anxiously. 

"  Only  a  little,  occasionally,  when  I  need  it 
to  keep  the  cold  out.  O  never  fear,  my 
dear,"  he  continued  observing  the  look  of 
concern  upon  his  wife's  countenance.  "  I'm 
a  good  temperance  man,  but  not  a  teetotaler  ; 
that  is  drawing  the  reins  rather  too  tight." 

Meantime,  Edward  had  offered  the  driver 
a  drink,  but  the  man  shook  his  head  ;  "  No, 
thank  you,"  said  he,  "I'd  rather  not  take 
any." 

"  Not  take  any  !  "  said  Edward,  "  why,  sir, 
it  will  do  you  good." 

"  I'm  not  sick,"  said  the  other. 

"  But  you  are  cold,"  said  Edward,  mistak 
ing  his  modest  demeanor  for  bashfulness. 

But  the  earnest  and  decided  shake  of  the 


LITTLE  WOLF.  165 

head  by  which  he  refused  the  second  invita 
tion,  signified  more  than  words  that  he  was 
an  adherent  of  the  total  abstinence  principles. 

"  What  a  simpleton,"  said  Edward  to  him 
self,  as  the  individual  by  his  side  shiveringly 
gathered  up  the  reins  and  drove  on. 

But  the  individual's  ruminations  were  of 
quite  a  different  character,  and  something  af 
ter  this  wise :  "  Shiver  away,  old  man,  it  is 
better  to  shiver  than  to  drink."  Be  it  known 
that  for  many  years  this  grey  headed  man  had 
without  measure,  poured  down  the  alcoholic 
fire.  When  at  length  overcome  by  it,  a  good 
Samaritan  had  discovered  him  lying  sick  by 
the  wayside,  and  had  humanely  assisted  him 
to  rise,  and  had  set  him  upon  the  beast  com 
monly  known  as  "  Total  Abstinence,"  upon 
which  he  had  ridden  with  great  comfort  and 
safety  up  to  the  time  of  our  story.  Moreover 
being  satisfied  that  the  animal  was  of  good 
parts  and  sure-footed,  he  was  not  at  all  in 
clined  to  exchange  the  faithful  old  creature 
for  any  of  the  best  bloods  belonging  to  the 
domestic  wine  family.  He  had  not  forgotten 


166  LITTLE  WOLF. 

that  apparently  harmless  little  hobby-horse 
whose  cognomen  was  Lager  Beer,  which  he 
had  sported  in  his  youth,  but  which  at  last 
got  unruly ;  whether  from  having  been  sta 
bled  with  vicious  beasts,  or  from  a  bad  qual 
ity  which  it  inherently  possessed,  he  was  not 
in  a  condition  to  inquire  the  first  time  it  play 
ed  off  its  pranks  upon  him.  But  one  thing 
was  certain,  after  several  months  of  docile  be 
havior,  one  fine  morning  his  pet  landed  him 
very  unceremoniously  in  the  gutter,  after 
which,  on  various  occasions,  he  mounted  near 
ly  all  the  beasts  in  the  stable,  whiskey,  rum, 
brandy,  etc.,  but  they,  one  and  all,  proved 
vastly  more  refractory  than  the  first  named, 
and,  as  we  have  seen,  he  was  at  length  left 
battered  and  bruised  by  the  way  side. 

It  is  needless  to  state  that  Jacob  Mentor's 
experience  had  not,  nor  was  it  likely  to  bene 
fit  any  so  much  as  himself ;  for  who,  among 
the  thousands  tampering  with  stimulating 
drinks,  could  be  made  to  believe  that  a  glass 
of  beer,  or  an  occasional  sip  of  wine  would 
result  in  their  final  overthow  ? 

4 


LITTLE  WOLF.  167 

Such,  at  all  events,  was  not  the  opinion  of 
our  young  friends  journeying  in  the  direction 
of  "  Fairy  Knoll ;  for  more  than  once  the 
wine  went  round  as  the  night  winds  whistled 
colder.  But  the  tedious  road  had  at  length 
an  end,  and  about  dark,  the  heavy  wagon 
lumbered  up  under  the  shadows  of  Fairy 
Knoll. 

"  It  won't  do  to  drive  up  that  hill  with  this . 
heavy  load,  the  horses  are  too  much  jaded," 
said  Jacob. 

"  Then  we'll  walk  up,"  said  Mr.  Hanford, 
jumping  out.  "  Come  now,  Mrs.  Hanford," 
proudly  stretching  out  his  arms,  "  I  will  carry 
you  up.  Mr.  Sherman  follow  me  ;  the  path 
is  a  little  slippery,  and  we  shall  have  to  step 
carefully." 

By  reason  of  his  burden  and  the  icy  path, 
Mr.  Hanford  was  sometime  in  reaching  his 
cabin,  but  he  made  short  work  of  getting  in 
side  ;  for,  having  bestowed  several  impatient 
thumps  upon  the  window  which  he  declared 
frozen  down,  he  suddenly  threw  himself 
against  the  door,  and  crack  went  the  wooden 


168  LITTLE  WOLF. 

fastening,  and  open  flew  the  door,  and  a  most 
unexpected  scene  burst  upon  bis  astonished 
vision. 

Surely  bere  were  tbe  fairies,  and  here  the 
warm  fire  for  which  his  shivering  little  wife 
had  been  wishing.  Surprise  held  him  upon 
the  threshold;  but  Edward,  who  instantly 
recognized  in  one  of  the  so-called  fairies,  the 
person  of  Little  Wolf,  srjtang  forward  with  a 
shout  of  joy. 

"  The  honey,  sure  as  I'm  alive,"  cried  Jacob 
Mentor,  pressing  eagerly  after  him.  "  Laws," 
said  he,  precipitately  dropping  his  bundles  in 
the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  rushing  up  to  Ed 
ward,  "  how  came  the  little  creature  here  ?  " 

Edward  silently  held  the  little  creature  in 
his  arms  as  if  he  would  keep  back  the  dear 
life  that  appeared  leaving  her,  and  when  Ja 
cob's  eye  fell  upon  the  white,  upturned  face, 
he  drew  back  with  a  look  of  alarm. 

When  this  and  that  restorative  had  been 
resorted  to  with  happy  effect,  and  Little  Wolf 
no  longer  required  undivided  attention,  at  her 
suggestion  Antoinette  La  Clare  briefly  relat- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  169 

ed  the  story  of  their  escape  from  Bloody  Jim. 
Mutual  explanations  followed,  discovering  to 
Antoinette  the  fact,  that  she  had  taken  refuge 
in  the  house  of  her  cousin,  for  such  John 
Hanford  proved  to  be,  his  mother's  sister  hav 
ing  married  Antoinette's  father. 

Amid  the  general  rejoicings  and  congratu 
lations,  Edward  naturally  alluded  to  the  death 
of  Bloody  Jim,  and  the  means  by  which  it 
was  accomplished.  "  We  are  fairly  rid  of  him 
now,"  he  said,  turning  to  Little  Wolf,  who 
had  quietly  slipped  from  his  embrace  and 
perched  herself  upon  the  big  chest,  "  the  ball 
made  sure  work." 

The  color  had  come  to  her  cheek,  and  there 
was  great  joy  in  her  eye,  but  Edward's  un 
lucky  words  made  her  pale  again,  and  she 
looked  quickly  and  apprehensively  towards 
Antoinette. 

The  poor  girl  shiveringly  hid  her  face  in 
her  hands  and  sobbed  audibly. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

BUSY  PREPARATIONS  AND  THE  CLIMAX  — 
THE  LOVERS  —  TOM  TINKNOR'S  DISCOV 
ERY  —  GENERAL  REJOICINGS  —  THE  IDOL 
DEFACED. 

next  mornin     the  cottae  on  the 


knoll  presented  a  scene  of  busy  prepar- 
ation,  the  climax  of  which  brought  forth 
Little  Wolf  rosy,  and  roguish,  wrapped  in 
blankets  and  shawls,  sufficient,  we  doubt  not, 
to  have  covered  over  more  land  than  the 
nether  garments  of  the  famous  Ten  Breeches. 
She  was  now  in  readiness  for  her  home 
ward  journey.  The  long-wished-for  time  had 
come,  and  with  it,  ten  thousand  joyous  emo- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  171 

tions,  which,  amid  ajl  the  changes  of  after 
life,  she  never  forgot.  Her  heart  had  put 
forth  its  life  flower,  and  who  ever  forgot  a 
like  season  of  bloom. 

Edward  was  here,  there,  and  everywhere, 
arranging  for  her  comfort,  and  he  looked  very 
proud  indeed  when  he  handed,  or  rather  lift 
ed  the  lady  in  blankets  into  the  big  wagon, 
and  took  his  seat  beside  her. 

They  were  to  go  alone,  Antoinette  having 
accepted  a  pressing  invitation  to  remain  with 
her  newly-found  cousins.  The  driver  of  the 
day  before  did  not,  as  on  a  previous  occasion, 
wait  for  orders.  Before  the  adieus  were  fair 
ly  spoken  he  cracked  his  whip  and  drove  off 
at  a  rate,  which,  in  his  cooler  moments,  he 
would  have  pronounced  absolutely  ruinous  to 
his  carefully  preserved  establishment.  The 
fact  that  said  establishment  comprised  all  the 
earthly  possessions  of  honest  Jacob,  was  of  it 
self  a  sufficient  guarantee  for  the  safe  trans 
portation  of  his  employers.  But  when  added 
to  this  was  a  natural  cautiousness  and  benev 
olence  of  disposition,  which  could  not  but  be 


172  LITTLE   WOLF. 

observed  on  the  most^  casual  acquaintance, 
few  could  have  lost  their  assurance,  even  on 
the  verge  of  a  precipice,  when  he  held  the 
reins.  . 

His  extreme  caution  made  him  a  favorite 
teamster,  not  only  overland,  but  especially  on 
the  Mississippi ;  when  at  certain  seasons  there 
was  danger  in  travelling  on  the  ice.  At  such 
times,  Squire  Tinknor  and  Dr.  DeWolf  had 
taken  some  pains  to  secure  his  services,  when 
exchanging  family  visits,  and  he  had  frequent 
ly  been  entrusted  with  the  sole  charge  of 
Little  Wolf,  when  she  was  but  a  child,  and 
delighted  with  the  long  icy  trip. 

In  those  days,  the  little  lady  had  complete 
ly  won  the  heart  of  her  protector,  and  he  had 
never  before  had  occasion  to  be  jealous  of  at 
tentions  which  she  was  pleased  to  receive 
from  any  of  her  friends,  except,  indeed,  when 
Daddy  would  sometimes  infringe  upon  his 
rights,  by  officiously  lifting  her  in  and  out  of 
his  sleigh.  Nor  could  he  be  said  to  be  jealous 
now.  It  was  only  the  same  disagreeable  sen 
sation  which  affectionate  sisters  sometimes 


LITTLE  WOLF.  173 

experience  on  the  occasion  of  the  marriage  of 
a  favorite  brother.  Had  Jacob  been  ques 
tioned  on  the  subject,  he  would  have  stoutly 
declared  that  he  was  glad  of  it ;  for  that  was 
just  what  he  tried  to  say  to  himself,  when  he 
saw  Edward  put  his  dearly  beloved  pet  into 
the  wagon.  But  even  his  fine  horses,  which 
he  hurried  off  with  such  unseemly  haste, 
ought  to  have  known  it  was  not  so. 

"  Why,  what  has  got  into  the  man  ?  he  has 
almost  taken  your  breath  away,"  said  Ed 
ward  tenderly. 

"  A  little  more  careful,  sir,  "  he  said,  as  Ja 
cob  turned  his  head  at  his  loud  exclamation. 

"  Yes,  yes ;  I  beg  pardon,  I  was  careless." 

The  speaker  was  evidently  ashamed  of  his 
freak.  A  second  look  at  the  happy  couple, 
and  a  kind  word  from  his  pet,  "  Dear  Jacob, 
I  believe  old  Grey  and  Bill  remember  how  I 
used  to  want  to  go  fast  when  we  went  so 
much  together,"  soothed  his  turbulent  feelings 
and  he  went  on  quite  slowly,  picking  up 
some  crumbs  of  comfort  in  default  of  the 
whole  loaf. 


174  LITTLE  WOLF. 

- 

The  loaf,  be  it  remembered,  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  the  voracious  couple  just  behind 
him,  and  if  greedily  devouring  it  during  the 
entire  day  would  have  made  a  finish  of  it,  the 
deed  would  have  been  done.  But  the  more 
they  fed  on  it,  the  larger  and  sweeter  it  grew, 
and,  by  the  time  they  had  arrived  at  Squire 
Tinknor's,  their  loaf  had  grown  to  be  almost 
as  much  as  they  could  carry. 

Squire  Tinknor,  it  will  be  remembered,  was 
an  old  acquaintance  of  Dr.  DeWolf,  and,  as 
we  have  elsewhere  stated,  the  two  gentlemen 
were  on  intimate  terms.  Having  at  one  time 
been  his  partner  in  some  extensive  land  spec 
ulations,  the  Squire  had,  since  that  period, 
acted  as  the  doctor's  financial  agent  and  ad 
visor.  He  was  generally  shrewd  and  reliable 
in  his  business  transactions,  although  his  ap 
petite  for  drink  occasionally  got  the  better  of 
his  judgment.  This  known  discrepancy  of 
character  was  tolerated  in  society  rather  as  an 
amiable  weakness,  than  a  vile  habit,  for  none 
had  the  hardihood  to  frown  openly  upon  a 
man  of  Squire  Tinknor's  wealth  and  position. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  175 

His  family  consisted  of  a  wife  and  one  son. 
The  latter,  a  handsome,  dashing  young  man, 
he  had  secretly  desired  to  see  attracted 
towards  the  daughter  of  his  friend,  and  in 
this  had  not  been  disappointed.  Thomas 
Tinknor  had,  from  a  boy,  bestowed  his  choic 
est  attentions  upon  the  young  lady,  and  when 
she  was  carried  off,  he  had  sworn  to  bring  her 
back,  or  "  die  in  the  attempt."  To  this  end 
he  had  faithfully  mounted  his  horse  each  day 
since  her  disappearance,  and  had  ridden  sev 
eral  miles  into  the  woods,  always  going  out  in 
high  spirits,  and  returning  somewhat  deject 
ed. 

It  was  in  this  condition  that  he  might  have 
been  seen  approaching  his  father's  house  just 
as  Jacob  Mentor  drew  up  before  the  gate. 
His  heart  beat  quickly,  for  he  instantly  rec 
ognized  the  toss  of  that  little  head,  envelop 
ed  as  it  was  in  hood  and  veil.  He  was  not 
slow  in  extending  to  Little  Wolf  a  warm  wel 
come.  So  warm  indeed,  was  it,  and  of  such 
vapory  stuff  is  comfort  made,  that  Edward's 
ponderous  loaf  '  evaporated,  leaving  only  a 


176  LITTLE  WOLF. 

small  fragment  such  as  could  be  drawn  from 
a  stolen  glance  of  the  eye,  while  she  was  be 
ing  carried  into  the  house,  and  transported 
from  the  arms  of  Mr.  Tinknor  the  younger,  to 
the  arms  of  Mr.  Tinknor  the  elder,  and  lastly, 
affectionately  folded  in  the  embrace  of  Mrs. 
Tinknor. 

"  You  see  everything  I  have  on  is  borrow 
ed,"  said  Little  wolf,  as  Mrs.  Tinknor  was  as 
sisting  her  in  undoing  her  wrappings,  "  but  I 
hope  to  be  at  home  in  a  day  or  two." 
"  Home  in  a  day  or  two  !  "  interrupted  Tom, 
"  Not  in  a  month  or  two,  if  I  can  prevent  it." 

"  I  intend  to  be  at  home  to-morrow,  provid 
ed  the  steamers  are  still  running,"  said  the 
young  lady  decidedly. 

"  O,  now,  you  are  too  bad  to  treat  us  so 
shabbily,"  said  Tom,  coaxingly,  "  do  stay  un 
til  the  river  freezes,  and  I'll  take  you  down 
on  the  ice." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Tinknor,  I  must  go  to 
morrow." 

Tom  Tinknor,  knew  from  past  experience 
that  to  attempt  further  persuasion  was  entire- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  177 

ly  useless,  and  lie  said  no  more,  silently  in 
dulging  the  hope,  that  the  ice  would  blockade 
the  river  before  morning.  His  desires  were 
in  part  gratified.  The  next  day  it  was  ascer 
tained  that  no  steamers  would  venture  forth 
among  the  floating  ice  cakes,  and  Tom  was 
exultant. 

In  this  mood  he  determined  to  give  Little 
Wolf  a  surprise  party,  and  thus  alleviate,  in 
some  degree  her  disappointment.  His  parents 
heartily  co-operated  in  his  project,  and  the 
trio  immediately  set  about  making  prepara 
tions  for  the  entertainment  of  a  large  circle  of 
friends. 

It  was  decided  that  Edward  should  be  ini 
tiated  into  the  secret,  and  the  task  of  hood 
winking  their  prying  and  discontented  young 
guest,  was  assigned  to  him.  By  ways  and 
means  known  only  to  a  masterly  hand,  Ed 
ward  contrived  on  that  eventful  day  to  per 
form  the  feat,  in  which,  no  doubt,  the  whole 
Tinknor  family  combined  would  have  failed. 

For  when  evening  came  on,  and  the  com 
pany  were  assembled,  Little  Wolf  most  un- 


178  LITTLE   WOLF. 

expectedly  found  herself  in  the  midst,  an  ob 
ject  of  universal  interest.  A  more  beautiful 
object  could  scarce  have  been  found.  At  all 
events,  so  thought  Edward  Sherman,  as  he 
mingled  in  the  throng,  great  billows  of  glad 
ness  surging  in  his  soul.  His  cup  of  joy  was 
large  and  full.  He  was  holding  it  with  a 
firm  hand,  and  he  said  in  his  heart,  "  I  shall 
never  be  moved." 

The  evening  was  drawing  to  a  close,  but 
the  feasting  and  toasting  was  still  kept  up. 
The  wine  went  round,  and  the  adventures  of 
our  heroine  continued  to  be  commemorated 
in  appropriate  sentiments.  While  the  guests 
still  lingered,  a  shade  of  anxiety  might  occa 
sionally  be  traced  on  many  a  fair  face,  as  hus 
band  or  brother,  or  "  that  other,"  exhibited 
unmistakable  signs  of  an  overheated  brain. 

Little  Wolfs  cheek  grew  pale,  as  from  time 
to  time  she  observed  the  rising  flush  on  Ed 
ward's  brow.  He  was  exceedingly  suscepti 
ble  to  the  use  of  stimulants,  and  was  rapidly 
thrown  into  a  highly  exhilarated  condition, 
making  him  for  a  time  brilliant,  but  finally 


LITTLE   WOLF.  179 

entangling  his  talk  in  a  labyrinth  of  meaning 
less  and  silly  words.  When  in  the  latter 
condition  which  was  not  observable  until  just 
before  the  party  broke  up,  he  conceived  the 
unlucky  idea  of  urging  upon  Little  Wolf  a 
glass  of  his  favorite  drink.  "  Permit  me," 
said  he,  stepping,  or  rather  swaggering  up  to 
where  the  lady  stood,  "  to  —  to  — ,"  and  sud 
denly  appearing  to  notice  the  extreme  pallor 
that  overspread  her  countenance,  he  stam 
mered,  "  to  bring  the  blushes  to  those  cheeks." 
It  was  enough.  The  heart  at  once  threw 
its  crimson  mantle  upon  her  face,  but  alas !  it 
was  dyed  in  shame.  Poor  Little  Wolf  had 
no  words  at  command.  There,  before  her, 
stood  the  man  in  whom,  a  few  hours  before 
she  had  felt  so  much  pride  and  confidence. 
Her  heart's  best  feelings  had  gone  out  to  him, 
and  here  was  her  idol  horribly  defaced,  and 
he  knew  it  not.  He  even  held  invitingly  to 
wards  her  the  instrument  that  had  done  the 
mischief,  and,  while  the  cup  still  shook  in  his 
trembling  hand,  he  began  to  wonder  at  her 
silence. 


180  LITTLE  WOLF. 

She  once  or  twice  moved  her  lips,  as  if  to 
speak,  but  the  words  died  away.  She  was 
not  faint  or  weak,  but  was  for  the  moment 
paralyzed.  When  the  quick  reaction  came, 
on  fire  with  indignation  she  acted  with  char 
acteristic  energy  and  decision,  and  all  heard 
the  crash  of  the  gofxtet,  as  with  one  rapid 
sweep  of  her  little  hand  she  dashed  it  to  the 
floor,  and  fled  from  the  room. 

Did  she  forgive  him?  She  said  in  her 
heart  she  would  not. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PAINFUL  RECOLLECTIONS  —  THE  LAST  BOAT 
OP  THE  SEASON  —  RUFFLED  PLUMES  —  REC 
ONCILIATION. 

HEN  Little  Wolf  awoke  the  next 
jmorning,  her  mind  instantly  reverted 

to  the  painful  subject,  that  had  ban 
ished  sleep  from  her  eyes  the  greater  part  of 
the  night,  and,  as  the  shameful  scene  came 
up  again  vividly  before  her,  she  buried  her 
face  in  her  pillow  and  groaned  aloud.  While 
thus  indulging  afresh  her  grief  and  mortifi 
cation,  she  was  aroused  by  a  sound  which 


182  LITTLE  WOLF. 

turned  her  thoughts  in  another  direction. 
She  started  up  eagerly  and  threw  open  the 
window  which  commanded  an  extended  view 
of  the  river,  and,  in  the  distance,  she  could 
just  discern  through  the  fast  falling  snow,  a 
brave  little  steamer,  as  if  by  magic  ploughing 
its  way  up  through  snow  and  ice. 

Little  Wolf  hung  out  of  the  window  half 
in  fear  lest  the  welcome  vision  should  vanish ; 
but  it  kept  steadily  onward,  drawing  nearer 
and  nearer  to  its  destination,  and  soon  she 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it  safely  moored, 
and,  by  the  active  discharge  of  freight,  it  was 
evident  that  it  would  attempt  a  downward 
trip. 

The  thought  of  home  banished  every  other 
from  her  mind,  and  she  hastily  drew  inside 
and  shook  the  white  flakes  from  her  glossy 
hair,  and  began  to  arrange  them  in  curls. 
But  the  unruly  locks  had  blown  about  so 
long  in  the  wind,  and  got  so  cold  and  tangled 
and  required  so  much  coaxing  and  brushing, 
that  Little  Wolf  began  to  despair  of  ever 
getting  them  in  order. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  183 

Just  then  she  observed  on  the  dresser  a 
bottle  of  what  she  supposed  to  be  pomatum, 
but  in  reality,  a  mixture  for  the  lungs,  made 
of  honey  and  other  ingredients,  which  by 
exposure  to  the  cold  had  partially  congealed. 
She  caught  it  up  and  literally  saturated  her 
hair  in  the  contents  and  then  with  great  spirit 
proceeded  to  her  task. 

At  the  first  onset  the  brush  stuck  fast; 
"  Dear  me  what  ails  it  ? "  she  ejaculated 
throwing  down  the  brush  and  making  des 
perate  dives  with  a  coarse  tooth  comb. 

By  this  time  her  pretty  tangled  ringlets  had 
stiffened  into  a  striking  resemblance  to  cork 
screws  interspersed  with  porcupine  quills. 
By  a  succession  of  impatient  jerks  she  en 
deavored  to  bring  the  wayward  mass  to  sub 
mission  ;  but  the  more  she  attempted  to  sep 
arate  and  arrange,  the  closer  the  loving  locks 
embraced  each  other,  and  she  was  beginning 
to  despair  of  conquering  the  difficulty,  when 
she  heard  a  light  knock  and  Mrs.  Tinknor's 
kind  voice  said  "  May  I  come  in  ?  " 

"  O  dear,  yes,"  said  Little  Wolf,  springing 


184  LITTLE  WOLF. 

to  the  door,  "  do  come  in,  my  dear  Mrs.  Tink- 
nor,  and  tell  me  what  this  horrid  pomade  is 
made  of." 

"  Why,  dear  child,  what  have  you  been 
doing  to  yourself?  your  hair  looks  as  if  ten 
thousand  furies  had  been  tearing  it." 

"  O  Mrs.  Tinknor,  it  is  this  horrid  pomade." 

Mrs.  Tinknor's  eye  fell  upon  the  offending 
preparation.  "  Why,  bless  your  heart  my 
child,"  she  exclaimed  in  dismay,  "  you  have 
been  using  Aunt  Betsy's  cough  medicine." 

Little  Wolf  threw  herself  on  the  bed  con 
vulsed  with  laughter,  and  Mrs.  Tinknor  heart 
ily  joined  in  the  merry  peals. 

"  I  came  to  tell  you,"  said  Mrs.  Tinknor, 
when  somewhat  composed,  "  that  a  steamer 
has  just  arrived,  and  Mr.  Tinknor  and  Tom 
have  gone  out  to  ascertain  when  she  will 
return,  if  at  all. 

"  O,  I  know  she's  going  back  right  away," 
said  Little  Wolf  springing  up.  "I  saw  them 
hurrying  off  the  freight ;  O  dear,  what  shall 
I  do  with  my  hair?  "  She  was  beginning  to 
feel  too  anxious  to  lauoli  now. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  185 

"  Come  to  my  room,  dear,  it  is  warmer  there 
and  I  can  soon  wash  it  out  for  you.  Now 
put  this  shawl  around  you  ;  never  mind  dress 
ing,  we  have  the  house  all  to  ourselves  you 
know." 

"  Suppose  I  were  to  get  caught  in  this  ridic 
ulous  plight,"  said  Little  Wolf,  pushing  her 
feet  into  her  slippers,  "  I  wouldn't  have  Tom 
see  me  for  the  world." 

"  Then  run  along  quickly  and  make  sure," 
said  Mrs.  Tinknor,  laughingly,  "  I  think  we 
needn't  feel  concerned  about  the  gentlemen 
coming  back  for  half  an  hour,"  she  added,  as 
Little  Wolf  ran  on  before. 

Now  the  gentlemen  had  already  returned, 
bringing  Edward  with  them.  The  latter, 
having  forstalled  them  at  the  boat,  met  them 
as  he  was  hurrying  to  Little  Wolf  with  the 
necessary  information.  On  coming  in  they 
unluckily  took  possession  of  the  very  room 
through  which  the  ladies  would  pass  in  order 
to  reach  Mrs.  Tinknor's  apartment. 

Reassured  by  her  hostess,  Little  Wolf 
pushed  confidently  forward,  making  bold  and 


186  LITTLE  WOLF. 

decisive  charges  at  the  obstructing  doors, 
and  in  this  manner,  made  her  Avay  directly 
into  the  presence  of  the  two  young  gentle 
men,  Mr.  Tinknor  having  gone  in  search  of 
his  wife. 

Here  she  was  brought  to  a  sudden  stand, 
but  it  was  only  for  an  instant,  for  Little  Wolf, 
like  a  true  womanly  general,  was  skilled  in 
retreat  when  caught  in  rumpled  uniform. 
She  turned  and  darted  through  the  door 
which  stood  accommodatingly  open,  and  al 
though  Edward's  suppressed  smile,  and  Tom's 
uproarious  laugh,  goaded  her  on,  she  stopped 
long  enough  to  lock  them  in,  thus  cutting  off 
pursuit  which  Tom  evidently  meditated  ;  he 
having,  in  consideration  of  their  long  and  in 
timate  acquaintance,  felt  himself  warranted 
in  chasing  after  her,  and  was  at  her  heels, 
when  he  suddenly  found  himself  a  prisoner. 

"  O  Wolf,  Wolf,  he  shouted,  pounding  upon 
the  door,  "  the  boat,  the  boat,  she'll  leave  "  — 

"  When  will  she  leave?  "  said  Little  Wolf, 
stopping  short. 

"  Let  me  out  and  I'll  tell  you,  come,  be 


LITTLE   WOLF.  187 

quick,  there's  no  time  to  be  lost.  If  you 
want  to  go  here's  Mr.  Sherman  to  take  charge 
of  you." 

"I  can  take  care  of  myself,"  muttered 
Little  Wolf,  but,  while  she  paused  she  had 
additional  cause  for  mortification  ;  for  Squire 
Tinknor  had  found  his  way  to  his  wife,  and 
her  only  refuge  was  behind  Mrs.  Tinknor's 
flowing  skirts.  Here  she  partially  screened 
herself,  while  he  informed  them  that  the  boat 
Would  attempt  a  downward  trip  in  the  course 
of  an  hour.  "  Ha,  ha,  ha,"  concluded  the 
Squire,  "if  sis  is  bent  on  going,  she  must 
make  haste  out  of  that  plight." 

By  the  united  efforts  of  her  friends,  Little 
Wolf  took  passage  for  Chimney  Rock,  and 
Edward,  looking  very  handsome  and  self- 
possessed,  acted  as  her  escort. 

Without  explanation,  without  apology, 
without  so  much  as  a  look  of  contrition  from 
her  travelling  companion,  at  the  first  inter 
view  Little  Wolf  forgave  all  the  pain  and 
mortification  he  had  made  her  feel.  She 
had  forgiven  him  without  knowinsr  it.  She 


188  LITTLE   WOLF. 

thought  herself  still  angry  because  her  heart 
ached. 

Edward  was  surprised.  He  had  expected 
to  meet  indignant  looks,  and  perhaps  reproach 
ful  words  ;  he  had  feared  even  worse,  for  he 
well  knew  the  decision  that  marked  Little 
Wolf's  forming  character,  and  he  had  armed 
himself  to  meet  the  treatment  which  he  felt 
he  justly  merited.  But  his  chosen  weapon 
of  defense  was  pride  and  so  was  useless  when 
opposed  to  Little  Wolf's  unusual  gentleness. 
He  was  subdued,  and  when  man's  proud 
spirit  is  once  subdued  by  the  forbearance  of 
the  woman  he  loves,  that  woman  henceforth 
becomes  to  him  an  object  of  adoration. 

Edward  had  the  day  before  called  Little 
Wolf,  darling,  now  he  called  her  angel,  and 
before  he  parted  from  her  he  had  said  "  my 
angel,"  and  she  had  smiled  upon  him  when 
he  said  it. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

WINTER  SPORTS  —  THE  DOCTOR'S  VISITS  — 
PREPARATIONS  FOR  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY  —  A 
DISCUSSION. 

INTER  had  fairly  set  in.  The  De 
cember  winds  had  for  several  weeks, 
f  blown  upon  the  '•  Father  of  Waters," 
and  he  slept  like  a  huge  giant,  all  unmindful 
of  the  western  breezes  which  came  to  fetter 
and  play  their  pranks  upon  him.  Many  wild 
revelries  did  those  winged  sprites  hold  upon 
his  grim  visage,  and  many  a  day  did  the 
pleasure  loving  inhabitants  of  the  lively  vil 
lage  of  Pendleton  go  forth  and  join  the  grand 


190  LITTLE  WOLF. 

revel.  On  such  occasions  the  newly  made 
playground  resounded  with  merry  shouts  and 
tinkling  bells,  for  there  skating  and  sleigh- 
riding  and  other  winter  sports  were  brought 
to  perfection. 

Our  young  friends  of  the  "  Bay  State " 
were  quite  at  home  amid  such  scenes,  and 
nearly  every  day,  might  be  seen  dashing 
up  before  their  hotel,  a  fanciful  little  sleigh 
drawn  by  a  fine  spirited  grey,  who  chafed 
and  stamped,  and  shook  his  necklace  of  silver 
bells,  as  if  to  signal  the  fair  lady,  whose  com 
ing  he  so  impatiently  waited.  His  temper, 
however,  was  seldom  severely  tested,  for  it 
was  Dr.  Goodrich  who  sported  this  elegant 
little  establishment,  and  Louise  Sherman  well 
knew  at  what  hour  of  the  day  to  be  in  readi 
ness  for  a  ride. 

Occasionally  the  duties  of  his  profession 
detained  the  doctor  beyond  his  usual  time, 
and  then  came  Louise's  turn  to  feel  the  least 
bit  in  the  world  uneasy  and  anxious.  But 
one  day  there  was  a  delay  of  the  kind  which 
passed  apparently  unheeded  by  her.  She  had 


LITTLE   WOLF.  191 

as  usual  brought  out  her  little  fur  cap  with 
its  red  ribbon  ties  and  deposited  it  with  her 
gloves  upon  the  table,  and  having  arranged 
her  mantle  near  the  fire,  and  put  her  over 
shoes  in  a  warm  place  upon  the  hearth,  she 
seated  herself  by  the  window,  just  opposite 
her  mother  who  has  taking  her  afternoon  nap 
in  an  easy  chair.  Here  she  sat  for  some  time 
anxiously  watching  the  sleeper,  and  evident 
ly  waiting  for  her  to  awaken.  At  length 
Mrs.  Sherman  opened  her  eyes,  and,  as  she 
caught  Louise's  eager  glance  gave  a  little 
start.  "  Hasn't  the  doctor  come  yet  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  No  mother,  but  I'm  all  ready,  and  I'm 
glad  you  are  awake,  for  I  wanted  to  tell  you 
before  I  left,  that  Edward  had  ordered  wine 
for  New  Year's,  and  he  said  if  it  came  while 
he  was  out,  he  wished  it  put  in  his  private 
room." 

"  Wine  for  New  Year*s !  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Sherman  in  unfeigned  astonishment. 

"  Why  yes,  mother,  Edward  says  our  friends 
will  expect  it  of  us." 


192  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  I  cannot  consent  to  it,"  said  Mrs.  Sher 
man  decidedly,  "  we  shall  have  a  plentiful 
supply  of  refreshments,  and,  Louise,  I'm  sur 
prised  that  you  should,  in  the  remotest  man 
ner,  give  your  sanction  to  your  brother's  fool 
ish  proposal." 

"  But,  mother,  said  Louise,  eagerly,  "  Ed 
ward  says  that  it  is  pure  domestic  wine,  and 
I  don't  see  what  harm  that  can  do." 

"  It  was  pure  domestic  wine  that  made 
Noah  drunk,  my  dear." 

"  O  dear,"  said  Louise  rather  impatiently, 
"  I  wish  old  Noah  had  never  got  drunk,  if  " — 

Just  then  she  happened  to  glance  out  of 
the  window,  and  saw  the  doctor  drive  up, 
and  consequently  her  frowns  and  Noah's  sins 
were  burried  in  oblivion,  and  a  smile  and  a 
blush  bloomed  upon  their  tomb. 

Louise  had  just  done  tying  on  her  cap  when 
the  doctor  appeared  at  the  door,  and,  while 
-he  was  exchanging  civilities  with  her  mother, 
she  slipped  out  and  ran  to  her  brother  whom 
she  saw  coming  in  the  passage. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  193 

"  We  can't  have  it  Ned,"  she  whispered, 
"  mother  has  set  her  foot  down.' 

"Yes?" 

"  Yes  Ned,  she  has." 

Edward  frowned  slightly,  but  said  nothing, 
for  by  that  time,  the  doctor  was  hastening  his 
sister  away  and  his  mother  was  gently  calling 
him. 

"  Edward." 

"  Yes  mother,"  and,  entering  her  room,  he 
threw  himself  carelessly  into  the  seat  which 
Louise  had  vacated. 

For  a  few  moments  both  were  silent,  and 
as  the  son  looked  into  the  mother's  face,  he 
plainly  saw  that  she  was  filled  with  grief  and 
anxiety ;  and  his  heart  smote  him  for  he  real 
ly  loved  and  revered  his  mother ;  but  he  re 
solved  to  appear  as  if  he  had  observed  noth 
ing  amiss,  and,  taking  his  hat  to  leave,  he 
said  quite  cheerfully,  "  well  mother  what  are 
your  commands  ?  " 

"  Edward  I  have  a  request  to  make  of  you," 
replied  Mrs.  Sherman  with  some  feeling  in  her 
to  tie. 


194  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  Speak,  mother  dear,"  said  he,  falling 
pleasantly  into  his  seat. 

"  It  is  my  request,  Edward,  that  you  do  not 
provide  wine,  or  any  other  stimulant  for  our 
New  Year's  entertainment." 

"  What,  not  coffee,  mother  ?  "  said  Edward 
laughingly. 

"  You  know  very  well  what  I  mean,"  said 
Mrs.  Sherman  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  Of  course  it  shall  be  as  you  wish,"  said 
he  more  seriously,  "  but  really,  mother,  I 
think  you  are  too  strict.  I  am  afraid  our 
friends  will  have  a  mean  opinion  of  our  hos 
pitality." 

"  They  will,  of  course,  understand  that  we 
are  principled  against  the  use  of  intoxicating 
drinks. 

"  As  a  beverage,"  chimed  in  Edward  with 
a  touch  of  irony  in  his  tone. 

Mrs.  Sherman  looked  hurt,  and  Edward  re 
pented  again.  "  Mother,"  said  he,  "  forgive 
me,  I  did  not  intend  to  wound  you.  Let  us 
drop  a  subject  upon  which  we  cannot  agree. 

"  But,   Edward,  I   cannot  bear  that  we 


LITTLE   WOLF.  195 

should  differ.  I  have  always  endeavored  to 
instil  correct  principles  into  the  minds  of  my 
children,  and  now,  just  as  they  are  on  the 
threshold  of  what  might  be  a  useful  life,  I 
find  the  tares  which  an  enemy  had  sown  be 
ginning  to  spring  up. 

"  But  mother,  you  know  I  do  not  approve 
of  indulging  to  excess  any  more  than  you  do. 
It  is  only  the  total  abstinence  principles  to 
which  I  object,  and  even  Louise  says  she  can 
see  no  harm  in  an  occasional  social  glass." 

"  Does  Miss  DeWolf  say  the  same,"  said 
Mrs.  Sherman  fixing  her  eyes  on  Edward. 

"  I  do  not  know,  I  am  sure,"  replied  Ed 
ward  nervously  twirling  his  hat,  u  I  have 
never  had  any  conversation  with  her  on  the 
subject." 

"  Miss  DeWolf  is  orthodox,  I  am  prepared 
to  testify,"  exclaimed  Louise,  tripping  into 
the  room,  and,  before  any  question  could  be 
put  as  to  the  cause  of  her  sudden  return,  she 
gratuitously  gave  the  information. 

"  A  man  had  a  fit  or  something,"  she  said, 
"  and  I  must  forsooth,  lose  my  ride,  for  the 


196  UTTLE  WOLF. 

doctor's  motto  is  business  before  pleasure  ;  a 
very  good  motto  when  I  am  not  concerned, 
but  if  the  man  could  only  have  been  taken 
an  hour  or  two  later,  it  would  have  been  a 
great  accommodation.  However,"  and  she 
glanced  archly  at  her  brother,  "  I  should  then 
have  lost  the  opportunity  of  eavesdropping, 
and  consequently  of  giving  in  my  testimony 
in  favor  of  my  future  sister-in-law.'' 

"  Thank  you,  I  suppose  you  obtained  your 
information  of  my  future  brother-in-law." 

"No  matter  how  I  got  it,  but  I'm  fully 
prepared  to  prove  that  the  young  lady's  prin 
ciples  are  severely  '  touch  not,  taste  not,  han 
dle  not.'  We  have  a  great  work  before  us, 
Ned,  for  they  will  not  easily  be  persuaded  to 
our  opinions  I  can  assure  you." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  influence  my  friends  to 
think  just  as  I  do,"  said  Edward,  proudly. 

"  Well,  somehow  you  have  managed  to 
make  me  think  as  you  do,  for  you  know  I  was 
once  as  strict  as  mother." 

"  I  hope  you  have  not  changed  your  views 
on  my  account,  Louise." 


LITTLE   WOLF.  197 

44  No,  not  exactly,  Ned,  yet,  I  must  confess, 
your  arguments  have  had  great  weight  with 
me." 

44 1  would  advise  you  to  reconsider,  and 
think  independently,"  said  Edward  rather 
sharply. 

Louise  was  silent,  and  Mrs.  Sherman  now 
seized  the  opportunity  to  change  the  topic  to 
one  more  intimately  connected  with  their  fu 
ture  plans  and  prospects.  In  this  the  atten 
tion  of  the  trio  was  absorbed  until  towards 
evening,  when  they  were  interrupted  by  the 
doctor's  well  known  knock. 

The  doctor  looked  pale  and  worn,  and,  as 
he  seated  himself,  Edward  remarked,  "  you 
look  tired  doctor." 

44  Yes,  I  am  tired,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  I 
am  tired  of  the  world,  or  rather  I  am  tired  of 
the  way  we  are  living  in  it.  I  have  had  an 
aggravated  case  of  delirium  tremens  on  my 
hands  this  afternoon,  and  I  wish  every  liquor 
seller  in  Pendleton  could  have  looked  in  up 
on  that  distressed  family.  A  young  and  in 
teresting  wife,  and  several  small  children 


198  LITTLE   WOLF. 

were  compelled  to  witness  a  scene  of  suffer 
ing,  the  horrors  of  which  were  truly  appall- 
ing." 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  Edward,  u  that  men 
will  make  such  beasts  of  themselves." 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  if 
men  have  no  hearts  of  pity,  that  we  can  not 
have  laws  to  psevent  the  sale  of  Ithe  poison." 

"  But,  doctor,  men  are  not  compelled  to 
buy  it." 

"  But,  Sherman,  men  will  buy  it,  and  will 
drink  it,  the  proof  of  which  is  before  us  every 
day  we  live.  These  temperance  societies  are 
no  doubt  most  of  them  useful  to  society,  but 
they  do  not  deal  the  death-blow  to  the  mon 
ster.  Nothing  but  the  law  can  do  that.  I 
know  your  opinion,  Sherman,  but  in  the  name 
of  humanity,  what  are  we  to  do  ?  " 

"  Why,  doctor,  we  shall  have  to  let  men 
kill  themselves  if  they  will  be  so  foolish.  We 
cannot  forbid  the  sale  of  pistols,  because  men 
often  use  them  for  purposes  of  committing 
suicide  ;  and,  even  to  suppose  that  a  man  is 


LITTLE  WOLF. 

quite  certain  when  he  sells  a  deadly  weapon 
to  another,  that  he  will  use  it  for  the  purpose 
of  self  distraction,  I  hold  that  he  has  the  le 
gal  right  to  sell  it ;  that  he  has  no  moral  right 
I  readily  admit." 

"  I  do  not  understand  law,  Sherman  ;  per 
haps  our  constitution  is  so  framed  that  the 
people  have  not  the  power  to  say  whether  or 
not,  our  nation  shall  become  a  nation  of 
drunkards ;  perhaps  the  thousands  of  intelli 
gent  men,  who,  heart-sick  as  I  am  this  day  in 
view  of  the  dreadful  consequences  accruing 
from  the  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks,  have  ig- 
norantly  petitioned  their  state  legislature  for 
a  prohibitory  law,  which  they  had  no  power 
to  enact ;  perhaps  those  judges  are  correct 
who  have  said  their  state  can  not  have  a  law 
that  would  restore  peace  and  happiness  to 
thousands  of  families,  whose  sorrow  it  is  too 
harrowing  to  think  upon.  I  say,  perhaps,  for, 
I  cannot  but  hope  that  judges  who  are  equal 
ly  intelligent  and  who  have  told  us  different 
ly  may  not  be  mistaken.  One  thing  is  cer 
tain,  the  hand  of  the  liquor  dealer  must  be 


LITTLE  WOLF. 

stayed,  or  in  every  house  there  will  be  one 
dead." 

"Public  opinion  might  do  much  towards 

accomplishing  the  desired  object,"  suggested 
Mrs.  Sherman." 

"  True  enough,  Mrs.  Sherman,  said  the 
doctor,  "  but  public  opinion  must  have  its 
naps,  and  at  best  it  is  seldom  half  awake  and 
it  requires  an  immoderate  amount  of  force  to 
bring  the  sleepy  thing  to  the  right  stand 
point." 

"  Well,  doctor,  I  am  willing  to  use  my  lit 
tle  strength  in  the  cause,  although  I  regret  to 
say  that  my  efforts  as  far  as  my  family  are 
concerned  have  proved  entirely  fruitless." 

The  doctor  turned  a  surprised  look  towards 
Louise,  whose  face  was  instantly  suffused 
with  blushes 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  NEW  YEAR'S  BALL  —  A  CHECK  TO 
FESTIVITY  —  THE  MIDNIGHT  RIDE  — 
DEATH  IN  THE  OLD  BROWN  HOUSE. 

iOLIDAY  festivities  and  dancing  parties 
were  words  synonymous  in  the  early 

^settlement  of  Minnesota,  and,  although 
Mrs.  Sherman  would  have  been  shocked  at 
the  bare  idea  of  her  daughter  attending  a 
public  ball  in  her  native  village,  the  influen 
ces  of  a  new  country  so  wrought  upon  her 
prejudices,  that  her  scruples  gradually  yield 
ed  ;  and,  when  Louise  rather  doubtfully  asked 


202  LITTLE  WOLF. 

permission  to  attend  a  party  of  the  kind  to  be 
given  on  New  Year's  Eve,  she  gained  a  re 
luctant  consent. 

"  I  could  not  consent  on  any  account, 
Louise,"  said  her  mother  with  a  view  to  ex 
cuse  this  apparant  departure  from  her  princi 
ples,  "if I  had  not  sometime  ago  had  some 
conversation  with  the  doctor  on  the  subject. 
I  have  great  confidence  in  his  judgment,  and, 
I  am  sure  he  would  not  desire  it,  if  it  were 
not  a  proper  place  for  you.  However,  I  have 
my  misgivings,  for  I  never  was  allowed  to  go 
to  such  a  place  when  I  was  young,"  and  she 
sighed,  "  but  as  the  Doctor  says,  there  is  no 
other  amusement  for  the  young  in  this  new 
country,"  and  she  sighed  again.  "  Is  Miss 
DeWolf  going,  Louise  ?  " 

"  Yes,  mother,  Ned  says  he  had  hard  work 
to  persuade  her  to  go.  She  don't  like  to 
leave  her  father.  What  a  pity  he  is  such  a 
sot.  I  believe  I  should  detest  such  a  father. 
I  don't  see  how  she  can  be  so  good  to  him." 

"  She  is  a  dutiful  daughter,  Louise,  and  a 
noble  girl,  and  I  hope  nothing  will  ever  hap- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  203 

pen  to  prevent  her  becoming  Edward's  wife." 
"  What  can   prevent  it  mother  ?  I'm  sure 
Ned    is   handsome,    and   talented   and   rich 
enough  for  anybody." 

"  I  don't  know  what  could  prevent  it, 
Louise,  but  I  shall  be  glad  when  they  are  real  • 
ly  married.  I  think  a  wife  of  the  right  stamp 
would  have  a  great  influence  on  Edward." 

"  Why,  mother,  I'm  sure  Ned's  principles 
are  good,  and  he  is  steady  enough  for  a  young 
man ;  I  don't  see  what  particular  advantage 
a  wife  would  be  to  him." 
Mrs.  Sherman  only  sighed. 
Louise  looked  a  little  disconcerted.    "  Why, 
mother,"  said  she,  "  you  act  as  if  you  thought 
something  terrible  was  going  to  happen  to 
Ned  and  me,  and  our  only  escape  was  matri 
mony." 

"  Louise,"  said  Mrs.  Sherman  after  a  pause, 
"  could  not  Miss  DeWolf  be  prevailed  upon 
to  spend  the  day  of  the  party  with  us ;  she 
would  only  be  a  few  hours  longer  away  from 
her  father." 

"Why    yes,    I    think    so,"    said    Louise 


204  LITTLE  WOLF. 

thoughtfully.  "  Ned  could  go  for  her  in  the 
morning.  O  yes,"  she  concluded  decidedly, 
"Ned  can  manage  that  I  know." 

Little  Wolf  spent  the  day  above  mentioned 
in  Mrs.  Sherman's  family.     She  was  happy  ; 
happier  than  she  had  been  since   her  return 
home.     The    memory  of  the  dreadful  night 
which  she  passed  at   Squire  Tinknor's  had 
ever  since  haunted  her.     It  was  only  when 
in  Edward's  presence  that  she  forgot  it,  and 
it  would  even  sometimes  cloud  a  moment  of 
such   companionship,  as  comes  only  to  those 
whose   very   life  is  bound  up  in  another's. 
She  often  said  to  herself,  it  was  his  first  mis 
take,  it  would  never  be  repeated  ;  he  would 
not  dare  to  indulge  again,  now  that  he  was 
convinced  how  a  stimulant  would  effect  him. 
But,  spite  of  all  her  attempts  at  self-control, 
whenever  the  well  remembered  scene  came 
up  before  her,  she  was  ready  to  cry  out  with 
anguish.     The  society   of  Edward's  mother, 
comforted,  and  reassured  her.     The  son  of 
such  a  mother  was  exalted,  if  that  were  pos 
sible,  in  her  opinion,  and  she  instinctively 


LITTLE   WOLF.  205 

gathered  renewed  confidence  in  her  own  fu 
ture  happiness. 

During  the  day,  Mrs.  Sherman's  penetrat 
ing  eye  was  frequently  fixed  upon  Little 
Wolf,  as  if  she  would  read  her  very  soul,  and 
the  glimpses  which  she  caught,  shining  out 
in  her  words  and  actions  were  on  the  whole 
satisfactory. 

Louise,  who  was  naturally  rather  yielding 
and  dependent,  involuntarily  deferred  to  her 
young  companion,  whose  opinions  were  al 
ways  independent  and  often  expressed  with 
marked  decision.  In  fact,  before  the  day  was 
ended,  Little  Wolf's  force  of  character  was 
felt  and  silently  acknowledged ;  and  little, 
and  rosy,  and  curly  though  she  was,  she  had 
become  a  power  in  the  Sherman  family.  But 
what  beauty,  what  sweetness,  what  love  is 
potent  when  opposed  to  a  depraved  appetite  ? 
But  why  anticipate  ? 

As  Edward  was  busy  in  his  office  the  great 
er  part  of  the  day,  and  the  doctor  in  his  pro 
fessional  duties,  they  saw  but  little  of  the 
ladies,  and  Mrs.  Sherman,  anticipating  their 


206  LITTLE  WOLF. 

wishes,  advised  Little  Wolf  and  Louise  to 
dress  at  an  early  hour  of  the  evening,  in  or 
der  to  enjoy  a  quiet  social  hour  all  together 
before  the  party. 

The  mysteries  of  the  toilet  occupied  more 
time  than  they  had  calculated  upon,  and,  just 
as  they  were  in  the  midst  of  an  important 
discussion,  as  to  whether  pink  or  white  flow 
ers  became  Louise  best,  they  heard  the  gen 
tlemen  come  in 

"  There  they  come,"  said  Louise,  "  I  hear 
them  in  the  parlor ;  do,  mother,  tell  them  we 
are  most  ready  !  " 

"  Now  Miss  DeWolf,"  said  she,  turning  to 
Little  Wolf,  as  her  mother  left  the  room, 
"  how  do  you  think  I  look  ?  " 

"  Why  you  look  like  a  prim  puritan.  The 
roses  in  your  hair  look  as  if  they  had  been 
taught  to  grow  very  properly  all  their  lives 
and  they  were  not  going  to  depart  from  early 
habits,  even  if  they  were  going  to  a  '  hop.' ' 

"  Now,  do  you  think  they  look  stiff?  "  said 
Louise  anxiously. 

"  Just  a  little,  Miss  Louise." 


LITTLE  WOLF.  207 

"  Please  arrange  them  for  me,"  said  Louise, 
stepping  up  to  Little  Wolf. 

Little  Wolf  gave  the  offending  flowers 
several  slight  twiches,  this  way,  and  that. 
"  There,  how  do  you  think  they  look  now," 
said  she. 

"  O  they  do  look  lovely,"  said  Louise,  glan 
cing  at  herself,  admiringly  in  the  mirror, 
why  could  not  I  fix  them  so  ?  " 

Little  Wol£  gave  her  head  a  slight  toss  of 
triumph,  thereby  creating  a  breezy  excite 
ment,  quite  becoming  among  her  ringlets,  and 
the  moss  rose  buds  with  which  they  were  or 
namented.  Her  dress  was  white  and  gauzy, 
and  her  every  movement  floated  it  gracefully, 
about  her  slender  figure. 

Louise  was  also  dressed  in  white,  but  there 
was  an  air  of  precision  about  her,  with  which 
although  it  accorded  well  with  her  conserva 
tive  character,  she  was  evidently  dissatisfied, 
when  comparing  her  appearance  with  Little 
Wolf's. 

"  I  wish  my  hair  would  curl  like  yours," 
she  said,  glancing  from  the  reflection  of  her 


208  LITTLE  WOLF. 

own  smoothly  braided  locks,  to  Little  Wolf's 
dancing  ringlets. 

"  Why  I'm  sure  you  look  very  beautiful  in 
deed,  beautiful  as  a  bride,  Miss  Louise  ;  now, 
go  ask  the  doctor  if  you,  don't.  Don't  wait 
for  me,  the  doctor  is  waiting  for  you ;  I'll 
come  directly  when  I  get  this  lace  fixed." 

"  Well,  remember  somebody  is  waiting  for 
you,"  said  Louise,  as  she  left  the  room. 

A  shower  of  compliments  fell  upon  Louise 
as  she  presented  herself  to  her  bi'other  and 
lover.  "  Now  don't  waste  any  more  admira 
tion  on  me,  either  of  you,"  said  she,  "  save  it 
for  Miss  DeWolf,  she  is  the  most  beautiful 
thing  I  ever  saw.  She  is  grace  itself.  She 
touches  a  ribbon  and  it  knots  itself  into  an 
exquisite  shape,  she  lays  her  hand  upon  lace 
and  it  fastens  and  floats,  she  gently  pats  a 
flower,  and  it  instantly  assumes  its  most 
graceful  attitude.  O  Ned,  how  happy  you 
will  be." 

The  words  were  still  upon  Louise's  lips 
when  Little  Wolf  joined  the  circle,  and.  some 
how,  she  instantly  caught  the  expression  of 


LITTLE  WOLF.  209 

Edward's  face,  and  read  in  it  those  emotions, 
with  which  our  pen  intermedleth  not. 

It  was  very  pleasant  to  look  into  that  quiet 
parlor,  presided  over  by  Mrs.  Sherman,  who 
sat  regarding  her  happy  children  with  so 
much  tenderness  and  pride.  But  we  must 
not  linger,  for  there  are  other  scenes  to  be 
presented. 

It  was  near  the  midnight  hour  when  pleas 
ure  ran  highest  in  the  brilliantly  lighted  ball 
room  that  Edward  might  be  seen  leading  Lit 
tle  Wolf  to  a  seat.  She  had  appeared  on  the 
floor  many  times,  and  had  at  length  acknowl 
edged  herself  weary. 

"  What  a  handsome  couple,"  whispered 
Louise  to  the  doctor,  nodding  significantly  to 
wards  them,  and  her  whisper  was  echoed  by 
many  others. 

There  was  a  deep  red  spot  in  Edward's 
cheek,  and  a  flash  in  his  eye,  which  some 
might  have  attributed  to  the  excitement  of 
the  occasion,  but  the  doctor  and  those  who 
knew  him  well,  interpreted  it  differently. 
He  had  several  times  during  the  evening  left 


210  LITTLE  WOLF. 

the  room  with  one  or  two  of  his  friends,  who 
were  in  the  habit  of  indulging  in  a  social 
glass,  and  Edward's  principles  were  not  such, 
as  to  shield  him  from  their  influence. 

Little  Wolf's  quick  eye  followed  him  when 
he  went  and  when  he  came  ;  not  indeed  with 
a  suspicion  of  the  truth,  for  it  did  not  occur 
to  her  that  he  was  being  led  into  temptation, 
but  the  fact  was  about  to  burst  upon  her. 

"'Excuse  me  for  a  few  moments,  love," 
whispered  Edward  as  he  seated  her,  "  I  will 
be  back  in  time  to  dance  the  old  year  out  and 
the  new  year  in  with  you ;  the  next  is  to  be 
our  wedding  year,  is  it  not  ?  ' ' 

Little  Wolf  smiled  and  fluttered  her  fan  to 
conceal  her  confusion. 

Two  gentlemen  were  engaged  in  conversa 
tion  near  Little  Wolf,  and,  as  Edward  left 
her  one  of  them  remarked,  "  What  a  pity  so 
many  of  our  promising  young  men  are  falling 
into  the  habit  of  drinking.  There  is  young 
Sherman,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  under  the 
influence  of  stimulant." 


LITTLE   WOLF.  211 

Although  not  intended  for  her  ear,  Little 
Wolf  caught  the  words,  and  her  bright  smile 
faded,  and  her  busy  little  fan  dropped  in  her 
lap.  The  wound  so  lately  healed  was  re 
opened,  and  in  it  had  fallen  a  corrosive  poison. 
She  felt  the  aching  pain,  and  the  eating  smart, 
she  begged  Dr.  Goodrich  to  take  her  from  the 
room.  She  had  arisen  and  was  leaning  on  his 
arm  when  Edward  returned. 

"  I  see  my  bird  is  on  the  wing,"  said  he 
claiming  Little  Wolf's  hand  for  the  forming 
cotillion. 

Little  Wolf  caught  his  breath  as  he  leaned 
towards  her,  and  grew  paler,  "  I  cannot 
dance,"  said  she  drawing  back. 

Edward  looked  surprised,  but  the  doctor 
knew  what  all  meant  and  he  turned  with  her 
towards  the  door,  when  who  should  they  see, 
but  daddy,  making  his  way  towards  them. 

He  had  evidently  come  in  haste,  for  his 
great  rough  over-coat  was  only  partly  button 
ed,  his  leggins  were  put  on  awry,  his  over 
shoes  were  untied  and  the  strings  dangled 
under  his  feet  somewhat  retarding  his 


212  LITTLE  WOLF. 

fling  locomotion.  With  fur  cap  drawn  low 
so  as  to  protect  his  face  as  much  as  pos 
sible  from  the  biting  winds,  beard  white  with 
frost,  and  clusters  of  snow  flakes  resting  up 
on  his  broad  shoulders,  Daddy  pushed  for 
ward  into  the  throng. 

Little  Wolf  no  sooner  saw  than  she  ran  up 
to  him,  "  What's  the  matter  Daddy  ?  "  said 
she. 

"  Twixt  you  and  me,  Honey,"  said  he 
clutching  her  by  the  arm,  "  the  doctor  is  pret 
ty  nigh  done  fur."  . 

Little  Wolf  waited  for  no  futher  explana 
tion.  She  gave  her  little  dimpled  arm  a  jerk 
and  was  out  of  the  room  in  a  twinkling. 

"  Bless  me,  twixt  you  an'me,  it  will  go 
hard  with  the  Honey,"  said  Daddy  address 
ing  Dr.  Goodrich,"  your  services  is  needed. 
Miss  Hawley  said  fetch  you  right  along  with 
the  Honey,  and,  doctor  hev'  her  wrap  up  right 
smart,  its  awful  cold  and  blowy  —  howsoever, 
I  clapped  in  two  big  buffaloes,  for  I  know'd 
putty  well  how  gals  is  dressed  at  sich  places. 
Laws,  I  expecjt  them  are  Jbuffaloes  would  keep 


LITTLE   WOIF.  213 

her  warm  if  she  hadn'  t  nothing  on  but   that 
are  outside  fish  net." 

For  once  Daddy  made  no  useless  delays. 
He  saw  that  Little  Wolf  was  well  wrapped 
in  as  they  sped  along  the  frozen  river.  The 
horses  were  put  to  their  utmost  speed,  but  in 
vain.  Little  Wolf  arrived  a  few  minutes  too 
late  to  attend  her  dying  father. 

With  a  despairing  wail  she  threw  herself 
beside  his  dead  body.  She  did  not  weep,  but 
moaned  so  pitifully  that  it  was  distressing  to 
listen  to  her. 

Mrs.  Hawley  at  length  went  to  her  and 
gently  raised  her  up  and  removed  her  hood 
and  cloak.  In  her  haste,  Little  Wolf  had 
made  no  change  in  her  dress,  and  she  was  too 
much  absorbed  in  grief  to  once  think  of  her 
appearance  The  rose  buds  fell  from  her  hair 
on  the  still  face  of  the  corpse  and  her  white 
robes  floated  over  it,  while  Mrs.  Hawley  tried 
to  soothe  and  speak  words  of  comfort  to  her. 

But  suddenly  her  eye  fell  upon  'a  form  at 
the  opposite  side  of  the  bed.  It  was  Hank 
Glutter.  She  was  pale  before,  but  at  sight 


214  LITTLE   WOLF. 

of  him  she  became  absolutely  ghastly.  Slow 
ly  she  arose  to  her  feet  and  went  around  to 
where  he  stood.  "  Mr.  Glutter,"  said  she 
solemly,  raising  her  hand,  as  if  to  pronounce 
upon  him  some  dreadful  anathema. 

"  Miss  DeWolf,"  said  Hank,  eagerly  inter 
rupting  her,  "  do  not  curse  me." 

'•  Vengeance  is  mine,  and  I  will  repay,  saith 
the  Lord,"  burst  from  Little  Wolfs  white 
lips. 

Is  there  not  a  curse  which  the  liquor  seller 
cannot  escape  ?  " 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

NEIGHBORLY  SYMPATHY  —  LITTLE  WOLF'S 
BOSOM  FRIEND  —  A  DISAPPOINTED  LOV 
ER. 

HE  news  of  the  sudden  and  unexpected 
death  of  Dr.  DeWolf,  quickly  spread 
among  the  few  poor  families  living  in 
the  vicinity,  casting  a  gloom  over  the  little 
community,  where  he  had  been  so  long  well 
known,  and,  before  strong  drink  got  the  mas 
tery  of  him,  greatly  respected  and  beloved. 
Many  a  sorrowful  face  looked  out  from  doors 
and  windows  towards  the  old  brown  house 


216  IITTLB  WOLF. 

on  New  Year's  morning',  and  one  after  anoth 
er,  the  sympathising-  neighbors  offered  their 
assistance  at  the  door  of  the  bereaved,  whose 
sunny  face  had  often  cheered  their  own  quiet 
homes. 

But  poor  Little  Wolf  at  the  time  knew 
nothing  of  their  kind  intentions.  After  the 
first  burst  of  grief,  leaving  all  arrangements 
which  the  occasion  required  to  Dr.  Goodrich, 
she  shut  herself  in  her  own  room,  and  none 
dared  intrude  upon  her  night  of  sorrow,  ex 
cept  indeed  Daddy,  who  was  indefatigable  in 
his  attentions.  The  kind  hearted  old  man 
wrapped  himself  in  blankets,  and  lay  down 
near  her  door,  and,  at  intervals,  during  the 
hours  of  that  cold  January  morning,  he  crept 
hi  softly  and  replenished  the  fire,  and,  after 
lingering  a  moment  in  the  vain  hope  that  she 
would  notice  and  speak  to  him,  he  would  go 
away  muttering  pitifully  to  himself,  "  poor 
Pet,  poor  Honey." 

About  daylight,  worn  out  with  anxiety  and 
fatigue,  he  fell  asleep,  and  a  few  hours  after- 
was  awakened  by  a  hard  thump  on  the  head 


LITTLE   WOLF.  217 

and  starting  up,  he  saw  Sorrel  Top,  just  gath 
ering  herself  up  from  a  fall. 

Who  told  you  to  lie  down  there  like  a  dog, 
for  folks  to  stumble  over  ?  "  said  she  angrily, 
I  thought  you  were  going  to  take  care  of  Lit 
tle  Wolf,  and  here  I  find  you  snoring  away 
and  she  may  be  frozen  to  death,  for  all  you 
know." 

"  Tween  you  an'me,"  said  Daddy  looking 
rather  mortified,  "  I'm  afeared  that  are  fire 
has  gin'  out." 

"  Of  course  it  has  —  there  ain'  t  a  good  fire 
in  the  hull  house.  It  takes  Mrs.  Hawley  all 
the  time  to  tend  the  door  and  tell  the  folks 
we  don't  want  their  help,  and  when  the  fu 
neral  will  be  ;  —  I  tell  ye,  we  ain't  hardly  had 
a  mite  of  rest  since  the  doctor  was  brought 
home." 

"  Tell  Miss  Hawley  I'll  be  down  there  in 
five  minutes,"  said  Daddy  decidedly. 

"  It  don't  make  much  difference  whether 
he's  here  or  not,"  said  Mrs.  Hawley,  when 
Sorrel  Top  had  delivered  his  message. 


218  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  O  he'll  be  handy  to  talk,"  replied  Sorrel 
Top  with  a  grim  smile. 

"  Tween  you  an'  me,  it  ain't  no  time  fur  to 
be  jokin,"  said  Daddy,  who  had  come  in  time 
to  catch  a  few  words,  and  had  a  suspicion  of 
what  was  passing  between  the  women,  "  I 
guess,"  he  continued  "  if  you  could  see  how 
broke  down  the  Honey  is,  you'd  begin  to 
think  it  was  a  serious  matter." 

"  We  do  already  think  it  a  very  serious 
matter,  Daddy,"  said  Mrs.  Hawley  with  great 
feeling,  and  I  Avish  Miss  DeWolf  would  let 
me  do  something  for  her.'' 

"  Taint  no  use  saying  a  word  to  her,  I  don't 
open  my  head  when  I  go  into  the  room,  but 
I'd  lay  down  my  life  fur  to  ease  her,"  said 
Daddy  the  tears  coming  to  his  eyes.  "  Tween 
you  and  me,  it  ain't  no  common  trouble  work- 
in'  on  the  pet,"  he  said,  coming  close  to  the 
two  and  speaking  low,  "  I've  knowed  her 
sence  she  was  a  baby,  I've  seen  all  of  her  put 
ty  ways,  and  none  of  her  bad  ways,  fur  she 
never  had  none ;  she  hes  growd  up  perfect 
and  she  allers  treated  the  doctor  dutiful,  and 


LITTLE   WOLF.  219 

she's  got  notlrin'  to  reproach  herself  fur. 
I'm  afered,"  and  he  sank  his  voice  to  a  whis 
per,  "the  Honey  has  got  a  separate  trouble." 
"  What  that  trouble  was  Daddy  did  not  de 
fine  for  he  was  interrupted  by  a  knock  at  the 
door,  which  he  opened  and  ushered  in  the 
Sherman  family. 

"  Tween  you  and  me,  the  Honey  ain't  spoke 
nor  slept,  nor  eat,"  said  Daddy,  in  answer  to 
Mrs.  Sherman's  enquiry  after  Little  Wolf, 
';  but  maybe  it  will  ease  her  a  leetle  to  know 
that  you  are  here,"  he  said,  looking  sideways 
at  Edward. 

Daddy  fidgeted  around  Little  Wolf  for  sev 
eral  moments,  before  he  could  muster  cour 
age  to  break  the  silence,  and  tell  her  who 
were  waiting  below,  and  he  almost  regretted 
having  done  so,  when  he  saw  the  look  of  ag 
ony,  which  the  information  brought  to  her 
face. 

"  Daddy,"  said  she  in  a  choking  voice,  "  ask 
Mrs.  Sherman  to  my  room,  the  others  will  ex 
cuse  me  to-day," 

It  was  some  alleviation  to  Edward's  disap- 


220  IITTLE  WOLF. 

pointment,  as  he  rode  home  with  Louise,  to 
know  that  his  mother  was  to  be  Little  Wolf's 
companion  and  consoler  until  the  arrival  of 
her  old  friends,  the  Tinknors,  who  had  been 
sent  for,  to  be  present  at  the  funeral. 

During  the  few  days  they  were  together, 
Mrs.  Sherman  strove  by  every  means  she 
could  devise  to  give  her  young  friend  some 
relief  from  the  distress  of  mind,  under  which 
it  was  evident  she  was  laboring.  But  she 
was  at  length  obliged  to  return  home,  leaving 
to  Mrs.  Tinknor's  skill  the  trying  case,  which 
had  baffled  her  own  benevolent  efforts. 

It  was  the  day  on  which  her  father's  re 
mains  had  been  consigned  to  their  last  resting 
place  in  a  secluded  part  of  his  grounds,  beside 
the  grave  of  her  mother,  that  Little  Wolf 
sat  alone  by  her  upper  window  looking  sadly 
out  towards  the  burial  spot,  which  she  had 
left  only  a  few  hours  previously. 

The  Squire  and  Mrs.  Tinkuor  were  in  the 
parlor  below,  engaged  in  conversation  con 
cerning  the  events  of  the  past  few  days,  and 
Tom  Tinknor,  to  whom  the  solemnities  of  the 


LITTLE   WOIJF.  221 

occasion  had  been  extremely  irksome,  was 
wandering  aimlessly  about  the  house  with 
hands  in  his  pockets,  occasionally  checking 
himself  in  the  very  act  of  whistling  away  the 
oppressive  silence. 

The  sudden  opening  of  a  door  gave  him 
quite  a  start,  and  turning  quickly,  he  saw 
Daddy,  who  said  good  naturedly,  "  I  guess 
ye're  skeered  ain't  ye  ?  'Tween  you  an'  me 
I've  felt  ruther  shaky  myself  lately  in  this  ere 
great  big  house,  where  there  is  so  much  spare 
room,  fur  ghosts  and  sperits  of  pussens  is  apt 
fur  to  hang  around  the  house  where  they 
die." 

"  O,  that's  all  nonsense,  Daddy,"  said  Tom, 
"  I  thought  you  knew  too  much  to  believe  in 
such  things." 

"  Wall,  I  don't  really  believe  in  'em,  but  I 
did  feel  kinder  queer  like,  last  night  when  I 
went  through  that  are  long  hall  to  the  Hon 
ey's  room,  but  I  never  hev  really  seen  a  sper- 
it  yet,  but  I've  seen  shaders  that  looked 
mighty  like  'em,  and  I  ain't  no  doubt,  if  there 
is  any,  I  shell  see  'em,  fur  the  Honey  says  I'm 


222  LITTLE   WOLF. 

uncommon  sharp  that  are  way.  Laws,  she 
ain't  afeared  of  nothin  :  why,  she  went  inter 
the  doctor's  room,  the  next  day  after  he  was 
laid  out,  and  stayed  thar  ever  so  long  all 
alone,  and  wouldn't  even  come  out  fur  to  see 
Mr.  Sherman,  'Tween  you  an'  me,  I  guess 
the  Honey  is  throwin  off  on  that  are  Sher 
man,  fur  ye  see  I  hed  to  go  right  inter  the 
ball-room  fur  her,  the  night  the  doctor  died, 
and  I  see  her,  with  my  own  eyes,  draw  away 
from  him  as  if  he  had  hurt  her,  and  I  kinder 
hed  a  inklin  that  may  be  he'd  been  drinking 
a  leetle  too  much,  fur,  to  my  sartin  knowl 
edge,  she  ain't  'lowed  him  fur  to  come  nigh 
her  sence.  But  I  guess  its  affectin'  her  seri 
ous,  fur  she  does  'pear  to  feel  the  wust  she 
ever  did,  and  I  used  to  say,  sometimes,  when 
the  doctor  was  brung  hum  dead  drunk,  she 
couldn't  feel  no  wuss  if  he  was  really  dead  ; 
but  them  times  was  nothin'  to  the  way  she 
broke  down  the  night  he  died.  'Tween  you 
an'  me,"  said  Daddy,  as  if  suddenly  recol 
lecting  himself,  "  it  wouldn't  be  best  fur  to 

« 
say   nothin'  about  this  to  nobody,    fur    the 


LITTLE  WOLF.  223 

Honey  likes  to  keep  her  own  affairs  strict." 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  Tom,  and  he  walked 
straight  to  the  parlor,  and  repeated  to  his 
parents  every  word  he  had  heard. 

"  She  certainly  grieves  more  than  is  natur 
al  considering  the  circumstances,"  said  the 
Squire,  "  and  if  the  old  man's  conjectures  are 
correct,  you  are  here  just  in  the  nick  of  time, 
Tom." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  Tom, 
rather  dubiously,  "  she  will  have  to  change 
wonderfully  if  she  gives  a  fellow  a  chance  to 
see  or  speak  to  her  while  we  stay." 

"  I  shall  try  to  prevail  upon  the  poor  child 
to  come  down  awhile  this  evening,"  said  Mrs. 
Tinknor  very  gently. 

"  A  handsome  fortune  is  not  to  be  obtained 
by  marriage  every  day,"  said  the  Squire. 

"  A  noble-hearted,  whole-souled  woman 
like  Little  Wolf  is  not  to  be  obtained  every 
day,"  said  Mrs.  Tinknor,  "  but,  I  never 
thought,"  said  she  affectionately  regarding 
her  son,  "  that  Little  Wolf  cherished  other 
than  a  sister's  love  for  Tom." 


224  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Tom  was  silent,  and,  after  a  short  pause, 
Mrs.  Tinknor  said,  "  when  you  came  in  Tom, 
I  was  telling  your  father  of  a  conversation  I 
had  with  Little  Wolf  last  evening,  concern 
ing  her  going  home  with  us,  but  she  thinks 
it  best,  on  account  of  her  dependent  family, 
not  to  break  up  house-keeping  before  Spring." 

"  Displaying  thereby  very  little  financial 
ability,"  said  Tom,  rather  contemptously. 

"  Tut,  tut,"  said  the  Squire,  "  Little  Wolf 
is  posted.  She  knows  just  as  much  about 
her  father's  affairs  as  I  do,  She  would  give 
me  no  rest  months  ago,  until  I  spread  out  the 
whole  thing  before  her,  and  I  believe  her  to 
be  as  capable  of  managing  the  property,  as  a 
woman  can  be. 

"  I  reminded  her  of  the  extra  expense  at 
tending  house-keeping,"  said  Mrs.  Tinknor, 
"  but  she  said  she  felt  it  her  duty  to  provide 
for  those  poor  creatures  in  her  employment. 
There's  Daddy,  you  know,  cannot,  more  than 
earn  his  board,  and  Mrs.  Hawley  besides  be 
ing  feeble,  has  no  other  home,  and  nobody 
would  do  as  well  by  an  inefficient  girl  like 


LITTLE  WOLF.  225 

Sorrel  Top,  as  she  does,  and  then  she  has  de 
cided  to  take  Fanny  Green  into  her  family 
for  the  winter." 

"  Now,  who  is  Fanny  Green  ?  "  broke  in 
Tom. 

"  Why,  she  is  the  little  girl  whose  father 
killed  his  wife  in  a  fit  of  intoxication,  and 
then  ran  off  leaving  the  child  to  the  charity  of 
strangers,  and  I  think  Little  Wolf  said,  she 
was  cruelly  treated  in  the  family  where  she  is 
now  living,  and  the  family  do  not  wish  to  be 
burdened  with  her. 

"  Well,  well "  said  Tom,  drawing  a  long 
breath,  "  I'm  convinced  Little  Wolf  will  be  a 
moping  old  maid,  dressed  in  black,  managing 
well  her  property,  devising  philanthropic  plans 
for  the  benefit  of  paupers,  she  is  getting  too 
good  for  any  man  that  lives." 

"  The  best  of  it  is,  she  does  not  even  know 
she  is  doing  a  good  thing,"  said  Mrs.  Tink- 
nor  smilingly. 

Tom  got  up  and  walked  impatiently  to  the 
window.  Having  accompanied  his  parents, 
with  a  view,  to  himself  wipe  away  the  few 


226  LITTLE   WOLF. 

natural  tears,  that  he  imagined  bedewed  the 
rosy  cheeks  of  Little  Wolf,  and  pour  into  her 
willing  ear  a  volume  of  cheering  words,  as  he 
should  ride  by  her  side  on  their  return  trip, 
and,  finally,  to  prevail  upon  her  to  reward  his 
unequalled  constancy,  by  becoming  his  wife, 
he  was  quite  unprepared  to  meet  the  pale  an 
guished  face  beneath  the  long  black  veil  of 
which,  for  the  first  time,  he  caught  a  glimpse 
on  the  funeral  day.  Having  witnessed  the 
quiver  that  shook  her  delicate  frame,  as  the 
grave  received  its  dead,  he  lost  all  confidence 
in  his  pre-arranged  means  of  consolation,  and 
the  words  of  his  mother,  not  having  been  cal 
culated  to  reassure  him  he  was  now  thor 
oughly  annoyed  at  the  course  things  had 
taken. 

But  as  Mrs.  Tinknor  well  knew  that  Tom's 
feelings  were  evanescent,  and  seldom  went 
beyond  the  surface,  she  immediately  arose  to 
go  to  Little  Wolf,  comforting  herself  with  the 
reflection,  that  the  storm  she  was  leaving 
would  be  of  short  duration. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


A    WEIGHT    OF    SORROW 
DRUNKARD  —  SUSPENSE. 


MARRYING    A 


,  EANTIME  Little  Wolf  had  not  stir- 
!  red  from  her  place  by  the  window, 
'  neither  had  she  withdrawn  her  gaze 
from  the  desolate  scene  without.  All  nature 
was  shrouded  in  snow.  On  the  ground,  on 
every  tree  and  shrub,  and  in  the  air ;  snow 
was  everywhere.  But  Little  Wolf  was  too 
much  absorbed  in  her  own  reflections  to  be 
stow  a  thought  upon  the  raging  storm. 


228  LITTLE   WOLF. 

From  the  graves  of  her  parents,  dimly  seen 
through  the  whirling  flakes,  her  mind  had 
wandered  to  an  equally  painful  subject,  upon 
which  the  timely  appearance  of  her  beloved 
friend,  Mrs.  Tinknor,  gave  her  the  longed  for 
opportunity  to  converse.  She  had  always 
confided  in  that  lady,  as  in  a  mother,  and  in 
the  present  instance,  nothing  was  witheld 
pertaining  to  her  feelings  past  and  present  to 
wards  Edward  Sherman,  and  the  relation  in 
which  he  stood  to  her. 

Mrs.  Tinknor's  previous  interview  with 
Tom  had  in  a  measure  prepared  her  for  Little 
Wolfs  communication  ,  but  the  tearless  eye, 
so  full  of  anguish,  the  white  cheek  and  com 
pressed  lips,  all  so  unlike  her  brilliant  little 
friend,  struck  her  painfully  ;  and  indignation 
towards  the  author  of  so  much  wretchedness 
was  the  uppermost  feeling  as,  in  conclusion, 
Little  Wolf  pleadingly  asked,  "  what  can  I 
do,  my  dear  Mrs.  Tinknor  ?  " 

Now  Mrs.  Tinknor  was  a  mild,  undemon 
strative  woman,  not  prone  to  giving  advice, 
but  the  memory  of  all  the  wrongs  which  she 


LITTLE  WOLF.  229 

had  endured  through  the  intemperance  of  her 
husband,  wrongs  which  had  sunk  deep  with 
in  her  bleeding  heart,  nerved  her  to  raise  a 
warning  voice,  to  save,  if  possible,  one  whom 
she  really  loved  from  a  life,  to  which  it  made 
her  shudder  to  look  forward,  and  she  freely 
and  earnestly  answered. 

"  Think  no  more  of  one,  who,  if  you  were 
to  become  his  wife,  would  make  your  life,  be 
yond  all  expression,  miserable." 

Little  Wolf  laid  her  hand  quickly  on  that 
of  her  friend  and  looking  straight  into  her 
eyes  said  vehemently,  "  I  cannot,  no,  I  can 
not  do  that,  could  you  ?  " 

"  Could  I,  rather,  did  I,"  said  Mrs.  Tinknor, 
drawing  a  long  breath,  "  I  had  not  the  decis 
ion  that  marks  your  character,  darling,  and 
consequently  am  a  drunkard's  wife." 

Mrs.  Tinknor' s  voice  fell  very  low,  as  she 
repeated  the  last  words,  and  Little  Wolf  in 
voluntarily  clasped  more  closely  the  hand  on 
which  she  had  laid  her  own. 

"  You  are  not,  really,  what  you  called  your 
self,  Mrs.  Tinknor,"  she  whispered,  "  nobody 


230  LITTLE  WOLF. 

calls  Squire  Tinknor  that,  oh,  do  not  talk  so." 
t;  I  do  not  like  to  say  it  my  dear,  and  I 
never  said  it  before,  but  for  your  sake  I  lay 
open  the  hidden  part  of  my  life,  and  after  you 
have  heard  me  through  I  shall  never  give  an 
other  word  of  advice  as  to  your  future 
course." 

"  I  was  just  of  your  age,  darling,  and  about 
to  be  married  when  an  intimate  friend  said  to 
me,"  "I'm  afraid  Mr.  Tinknor  is  fond  of 
drink,  I  sa\v  him  go  into  one  of  those  drink 
ing  saloons."  I  answered  carelessly  ;  for  I 
did  not  wish  her  to  know  that  she  had  made 
me  anxious ;  but  that  evening  I  repeated  her 
words  to  my  lover.  He  made  light  of  it,  and 
said  a  friend  invited,  him  to  drink  and  he  did 
not  like  to  refuse  ;  that  he  might  be  a  man 
among  men,  that  there  was  no  danger,  he 
could  stop  when  he  pleased,  he  only  drank 
socially,  never  for  the  love  of  it, 

"  But  my  fears  were  aroused  and  I  begged 
him  with  tears,  to  give  up  social  drinking  all 
together,  and  he  finally  appeared  hurt,  and 
finally  asked  me  if  I  could  not  trust  him,  and 


LITTLE   WOLF.  231 

I  said  yes ;  for  he  was  so  noble,  so  full  of 
warm  affection,  that  I  was  sure  I  could  win 
him  from  those  habits,  which  threatened  to 
darken  our  sky.  I  ventured  forth  on  a  dan 
gerous  sea,  and  clouds  and  storms  have  been 
my  portion. 

"  Spite  of  all  you  love  him,  and  he  loves 
you,"  Little  Wolf  ventured  to  say,  "  and 
while  there  is  love  there  is  hope,  and  some 
little  comfort ;  life  is  not  entirely  aimless  and 
barren." 

Mrs.  Tinknor  so  pitied  Little  Wolf,  who 
had  so  bravely  risen  above  all  the  misfortunes 
to  which  her  young  life  had  been  subjected, 
only  to  sacrifice  herself  to  a  most  unfortunate 
attachment,  that,  for  the  moment,  she  was 
silent  not  knowing  what  to  say. 

"  O  do  not  look  so  hopeless,  dear  Mrs. 
Tinknor,"  said  Little  Wolf  eagerly,  "  tell  me 
there  is  something  to  live  for." 

"  We  may,  to  be  good,  and  do  good,"  said 
Mrs.  Tinknor  slowly,  as  if  to  make  quite  sure 
of  answering  wisely. 

Little  Wolf  caught  at  the  words,  "  that  is 


282  LITTLE  \VOLF. 

just  what  you  are  doing,"  she  said,  "  and 
why  may  not  I  ?  I  know  you  think  I  could 
not  do  as  you  have  done ;  but  you  do  not 
know  how  my  heart  is  in  this  thing.  I  did 
not  know  myself  until  the  trial  came,  why, 
Mrs,  Tinknor,  I  could  sacrifice  my  soul  for  his 
sake." 

"  O  darling,  darling,  I  cannot  bear  to  hear 
you  say  so.  I  cannot  bear  to  have  you  sacri 
fice  yourself  to  one  who  would  not  even  con 
trol  a  vitiated  appetite  for  your  sake.  Be 
lieve  me  you  will  regret  it,  if  you  become  the 
wife  of  an  inebriate." 

"  O  he  is  not  that,  he  is  not  that." 
"  He  may  not  have  come  to  that  yet, 
dear  child,  but  you  have  seen  and  heard 
enough  to  convince  you  that  he  is  on  the  road 
from  which  few  turn  back.  He  has  already 
felt  the  debasing  effects  of  intoxicating  drink 
and  still  he  keeps  on,  and  shall  that  noble 
soul  of  yours  be  for  a  whole  life  time  bound 
to  one  with  whom  eventually  there  can  be  no 
sympathy  ?  God  forbid.  You  may  remem 
ber,  although  you  were  very  young,  what 


LITTLE   WOLF.  233 

your  dear  mother's  sufferings  were ;  could  she 
speak  to  you  now,  what  think  you  would  be 
her  advice  ?  " 

"  O  my  dear,  patient,  loving,  broken  heart 
ed  mother,"  and  Little  Wolf  burst  into  a 
paroxysm  of  tears. 

Mrs.  Tinknor  leaned  very  tenderly  over  her 
young  friend  and  kissed  her  cheek,  and,  after 
this  little  act  of  love  and  sympathy,  she  went 
down  stairs,  without  so  much  as  having  hint 
ed  at  the  object  for  which  she  came.  How 
ever  to  the  surprise  of  all,  Little  Wolf  spent 
the  evening  in  the  parlor  with  her  guests, 
and  at  her  earnest  solicitation,  they  consent 
ed  to  delay  their 'intended  departure  for  a 
few  days. 

It  was  a  sore  disappointment  to  Edward 
Sherman  to  be  obliged  to  meet  Little  Wolf 
day  after  day  under  the  watchful  eye  of  Tom 
Tinknor.  But,  to  Little  Wolf  it  was  an  in 
finite  relief,  for  Mrs.  Tinknor's  words  "  think 

f 
no  more  of  one  who  if  you  were  to  become 

his  wife,  would  make  your  life  beyond  all  ex 
pression,  miserable,"  rang  continually  in  her 


234  LITTLE  WOLF. 

ears :  and,  while  her  heart  prompted  her  to  a 
different  course,  her  intellect  in  a  measure 
approved  the  advice.  Consequently  she  nat 
urally  shrank  from  a  private  interview,  be 
fore  her  mind  was  fully  prepared  to  meet  the 
exigency. 

The  subject  was  not  again  broached  be 
tween  Mrs.  Tinknor  and  herself  until  the 
morning  that  the  first  named  started  for  her 
home,  and  it  was  only  at  the  moment  of  their 
last  fond  leave  taking,  that  Little  Wolf  lean 
ed  over  the  side  of  the  sleigh  and  whispered 
in  her  ear,  "  I  shall  never  be  able  to  write  to 
you  about  it,  but  if  he  refuses  to  accept  the 
condition  which  I  feel  I  ought  to  make,  I  will 
just  send  you  a  lock  of  my  hair  and  you  will 
know  it  is  all  ov,er  with  us." 

Her  lip  quivered  as  she  turned  away  and 
as  the  Squire  drove  off,  Tom  who  had  observ 
ed  her  agitation  said  to  his  mother,  "  she  is 
tender  hearted,  that  savage  Little  Wolf  after 
all." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

DADDY'S  DIPLOMACY  —  A  PASSAGE  AT 
ARMS  —  FANNIE  GREEN  —  A  CATASTRO 
PHE. 

SUDDEN  sense  of  responsibility  seem 
ed  to  fall  upon  Daddy,  as  with  Little 
Wolf,  he  watched  the  Squire's  swift 
gliding  sleigh,  and  its  occupants,  until  they 
had  dwindled  together,  a  mere  speck  on  the 
silent  river. 

'Tween  you  and  me,  Honey,  it  won't  du 
for  you  to  be  shiverin,  here  in  the  snow.  Mr. 
Tom  said  I  was  fur  to  take  care  of  you  when 
he  was  gone  ;  'tween  you  and  me  Mr.  Tom  is. 


286  LITTLE   WOLF. 

oncommon  nice  young  man,  oncommon,  con- 
siderin  his  father,  very  oncommon." 
"  How  so  Daddy  ?" 

"  'Tween  you  and  me  he's  a  teetotaler,  out 
and  out,  and  the  Squire  ain't.  I  ketched 
him  sneakin  off  down  to  the  brewery  several 
times.  I  kinder  think  Tom  takes  after  his 
mother,  and  its  a  good  sign  fur  boys  to  take 
after  their  mother.  Now  there's  Mr.  Sher 
man,  he  takes  after  his  father.  His  every 
motion  is  like  the  judge.  To  be  sure,  the 
Judge  was  a  wonderful  smart  man,  but  then 
when  I  lived  in  them  parts  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  drinkin,  pretty  heavy.  Afore  I  left 
he  signed  the  pledge,  but  there  ain't  no  tellin 
how  he  would  have  turned  out  if  he  had 
lived." 

It  was  plainly  to  be  seen  in  whose  interest 
Daddy  was  enlisted.  His  diplomatic  efforts 
were  listened  to  with  great  composure  and  he 
could  only  speculate  on  the  result  as  he  went 
into  the  house  with  Little  Wolf. 

The  parlor  was  in  a  state  of  confusion,  Mrs. 
Hawley  and  Sorrel  Tom  having  combined 


LITTLE   WOIF.  237 

forces  to  raise  the  greatest  possible  amount 
of  dust  and  disorder  out  of  the  material  at 
hand ;  such  as  the  ashes  from  the  Squire's 
segar  inadvertantly  dropped,  the  dirt  from 
Tom's  boots  which  he  never  remembered  to 
clean,  and  Daddy's  careless  litter  in  making 
the  fire.  The  light  litter  was  easily  disposed 
of ,  but  the  inevitable  stain  left  by  the  melted 
snow  upon  the  carpet  occasioned  an  angry 
outburst  from  Sorrel  Top,  who  did  not  see 
her  young  mistress  just  behind. 

"  Tom  Tinlmor  is  a  filthy  fellow,"  said  she, 
and  I'm  glad  he's  gone  ;  he  kept  me  cleaning 
up  after  him  all  the  time,  and  now  here's  two 
more  great  spots  to  be  scrubbed." 

"  'Tween  you  and  me  Tom  didn't  make 
them  are,"  said  Daddy  indignantly. 

"  He  did,  too." 

"  He  didn't  nuther,  I  see  Mr.  Sherman  set 
in  that  are  very  spot  yesterday." 

At  the  commencement  of  the  dispute,  Lit 
tle  Wolf  slipped  away  and  sought  refuge  in 
her  own  room,  and  Daddy  embraced  the  op 
portunity  to  lecture  Sorrel  Top  soundly. 


238  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  you've1  disgusted  the 
"Honey,"  said  he,  "  speakin  so  unrespectful 
of  her  friends." 

"  She  don't  know  nothing  about  it,"  said 
Sorrel  Top. 

'•  'Tween  you  and  me  she  stood  right  be 
hind  you  and  heered  the  hull,"  said  Daddy 
triumphantly. 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  Sorrel  Top,  get 
ting  very  red  in  the  face. 

"  I'll  leave  it  to  Miss  Hawley,"  said  Daddy. 

Mrs.  Hawley  eorrobarated  the  statement 
and  Daddy  continued  his  lecture. 

"  'Tain't  never  best  to  speak  disrespectful 
of  nobody,"  said  he,  "  I  never  du,  except  of 
them  are  liquor  sellers, -and  sich  low  critters. 
'Tween  you  an'  me,  Mr.  Tinknor  is  a  very 
respectable  young  man ;  he  told  me  he'd 
never  drunk  a  drop  of  liquor  in  his  hull  life, 
except  once  when  he  had  the  colic,  and  it 
ain't  likely  he'll  ever  tech  the  infarnel  stuff 
agin,  for  he  ain't  subject  to  colic,  and  if  he 
should  be  tackled  with  it.  I've  told  him  how 
to  doctor  with  hot  plates  and  yarb  tea.  I 


LITTLE  WOLF.  289 

advised  him  not  to  send  fur  no  doctor,  fur 
ten 'chances  tu  one,  they  would  prescribe 
brandy.  Them  doctors,  as  a  general  thing, 
don't  know  no  better  than  to  prescribe  things 
fur  young  men  that  gits  'em  in  the  habit  of 
drinkin.  I  wouldn't  hev  the  Honey  heard 
you  run  down  Mr.  Torn,  as  you  did,  fur  no 
money.  I  hope  this  will  be  a  warnin  fur  you 
to  be  oncommon  keerful  of  that  are  tongue 
of  yourri  in  futur." 

"I  guess  Miss  DeWolf  can  tend  to  her 
own  affairs  without  anybody's  help,"  said 
Sorrel  Top,  not  in  the  least  dismayed  by 
Daddy's  expostulations.  "  I  wonder  what 
has  sot  you  agin  Mr.  Sherman,  he  is  much 
more  agreeable  than  Tom  Tinknor,  and  I  had 
rather  clean  up  his  dirt  a  thousand  times, 
than  so  much  as  set  a  chair  for  that  silly 
Tom." 

"  You  never  had  no  penetration,  no  how," 
said  Daddy  contemptously,  "  if  you  ever 
marry  you'll  get  a  drunken  loafer  to  wait  on, 
no  doubt." 

With  this    unldnd  prophesy  on  his  lips, 


240  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Daddy  got  himself  out  of  the  sound  of  Sorrel 
Top's  retort  as  quickly  as  possible,  and,  as  he 
could  whenever  it  suited  him,  make  an  errand 
to  Little  Wolfs  room,  he  very  soon  made  it 
convenient  to  start  with  an  armful  of  wood 
in  that  direction. 

The  fire  was  burning  very  briskly  and  Lit 
tle  Wolf  sat  before  it.,  in  an  attitude  of  deep 
thought,  so  Daddy  very  gently  put  down  the 
wood,  and  was  going  out,  when  his  young 
mistress  called  after  him. 

"Daddy." 

"  Yes,  Honey." 

"Daddy,  I've  been  thinking  of  going  for 
Fanny  Green  to-day." 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  its  a  oncommon  fair 
day,  likely  you  wouldn't  take  no  cold. 

"  Well,  daddy,  we  will  drive  over  for  her, 
early  this  afternoon." 

The  honor  of  riding  with  Little  Wolf  and 
the  errand  on  which,  they  were  going  combin 
ed  to  form  an  occasion  of  deep  interest  with 
Daddy  who  hastened  down,  eager  to  impart 
the  information  he  had  obtained.  But,  as  on- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  241 

ly  Sorrel  Top  was  visible,  and  she  in  a  fit  of 
sulks,  in  the  bringing  on  of  which  he  had 
been  instrumental,  he  delayed  his  important 
communication  for  a  more  appreciative  audi 
ence,  and  contented  himself  with  the  per 
formance  of  what  he  considered  a  solemn 
duty. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  its  never  best  to 
pout,"  said  he,  "  I've  seen  many  a  handsome 
face  spiled  by  it." 

Having  administered  this  inflammatory  ad 
monition,  Daddy  betook  himself  to  the  wood 
pile,  where  he  pecked  away  with  uncommon 
assiduity  until  he  was  called  to  dinner. 

Putting  away  his  ax  with  alacrity,  he  hur 
ried  into  the  house,  with  an  air  of  a  man  of 
business,  and  soon,  under  the  influence  of  a 
very  palatable  dinner,  his  tongue  loosed  more 
agreeably. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  the  Honey  and  me 
have  been  talkin  the  matter  over,"  said  he, 
"  and  we  are  going  fur  to  fetch  Fanny  this 
afternoon." 


242  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  You  ain't  told  us  no  news,"  said  Sorrel 
Top,  "  has  he  Miss  Hawley  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  go  fur  to  tell  no  news,  a  man 
never  expects  to  tell  women  any  news." 

Daddy  told  this  little  fib  good  naturedly, 
although  it  was  evident  that  he  was  the  least 
bit  annoyed. 

Sorrel  Top  delighted  in  view  of  Daddy's 
discomfiture,  and  her  temper  restored,  con 
descended  to  disclose  the  part  she  was  to  act 
in  the  matter. 

"  I've  just  been  fixing  a  bed  for  her  in  the 
little  room  inside  of  Miss  DeWolf  s,"  said  she 
"  and  as  it  ain't  at  all  likely  she'll  be  very 
tidy,  brought  up  as  she v has  been  in  that  old 
shanty,  I  expect  to  have  to  teach  her  to  keep 
it  in  order." 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  it's  time  I  was  gittin 
ready  fur  to  fetch  her,"  said  Daddy  glad  of 
an  excuse  to  terminate  the  interview. 

Little  Wolf  was  on  the  veranda  when 
Daddy  drove  up,  for  she  was  aware  that  her 
spirited  little  saddle  horse,  Fleet  Foot,  was 
as  a  general  thing  rather  restive  in  harness. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  243 

However,  on  the  present  occasion,  his  behav 
ior  was  unexceptionable,  and,  in  a  few  min 
utes,  he  was  trotting  off,  the  perfection  of 
docility. 

It  was  about  a  half  an  hour's  drive  to  Mr. 
Wycoffs.  the  farmer  in  whose  family  Fanny 
Green  was  living,  and  it  was  not  to  be  expect 
ed  that  Daddy  could  by  any  means  remain 
silent  for  that  length  of  time,  and  as  the  sub 
ject  most  likely  to  interest  his  young  mistress, 
he  fixed  upon  Fleet  Foot. 

•''Tweenyou  and  me,  Fleet  Foot  is  on- 
common  stiddy  to-day." 

"  Yes,"  said  Little  Wolf,  absently. 

"•  'Tween  you  and  me  bosses  is  like  pus- 
sens,  they  ken  be  coaxed  better  than  driv, 
fur  generally  speakin,  coaxing  brings  'em 
round  when  driving  won't.  It  alwa}7s  makes 
my  blood  brile  tu  see  a  hoss  abused,  and  the 
men  that  du  it  ain't  much  better  than  them 
are  liquor  sellers,  and  I  have  always  said  that 
they  were  the  meanest  of  God's  creation. 
'Tween  you  and  me,  if  common  folks  had  had 
the  care  of  Fleet  Foot,  you  couldn't  do  noth- 


244  LITTLE   WOLF. 

in  with  him.  He's  naturally  as  full  of  fire  as 
an  egg  is  of  meat,  and  he's  a  very  knowin 
hoss  tu ;  the  minute  you're  in  the  saddle  he 
pricks  up  his  ears,  and  dances  off  like  a  young 
colt,  fur  he  knows  you  like  fur  to  have  him 
prance  and  show  off ;  but  when  I  back  him, 
he  knows  just  as  well  he's  got  a  stiddy  old 
man  aboard.  When  I  fust  took  him  out  this 
afternoon,  he  went  a  caperin  and  careerin 
round,  and  one  spell  I  cum  mighty  nigh  not 
gitting  harness  on  him,  but  laws  if  anybody 
.ken  manage  a  hoss 'I  ken,"  and  Daddy  un- 
consciousty  gave  the  reins  a  triumphant  jerk, 
which  instantly  increased  Fleet  Foot's  speed 
to  what  the  careful  old  man  considered  an 
alarming  degree,  and  by  the  time  they  had 
reached  their  destination,  he  was  nearly  out 
of  breath,  and  had  become  quite  nervous  in 
his  efforts  to  check  the  spirited  animal. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  it  wont  du  to  keep 
Fleet  Foot  standing  long  in  the  cold,"  sug 
gested  Daddy  anxiously  s^s  Little  Wolf  was 
alighting. 

Sharing  Daddy's  anxiety  Little  Wolf  stated 


LITTLE   WOI.F.  245 

to  Mrs.  Wycoff  as  concisely  as  possible,  the 
object  of  her  visit,  and  that  individual  brought 
the  affair  to  a  crisis  in  the  following  summa 
ry  manner. 

"  Here's  the  girl,  take  her.  Fanny  put  on 
your  hood,  and  that  old  cloak  that  was  your 
mother's.  Mr.  Wycoff  has  given  you  to  this 
lady,  and  she's  in  a  hurry.  Now  be  quick." 
Fanny's  little  white  tear  stained  face  fairly 
shone  with  delight,  as  she  followed  her  new 
found  friend  to  the  sleigh.  No  alteration  had 
been  made  in  the  mantle  which  was  once  her 
mother's,  and  Daddy  wrapped  her  carefully 
in  its  ample  folds  and  stowed  her  away  at 
his  feet,  and  she  looked  her  last  upon  a  house 
where  she  had  suffered,  as  ill  treated,  mother 
less  children  sometimes  do  suffer. 

From  the  day  of  her  mother's  death,  she 
had  excited  Daddy's  earnest  sympathy.  He 
had  seen  her  carried  home  by  Mr.  Wycoff, 
whom  he  knew  to  be  a  hard  man,  and  fond 
of  strong  drink.  Mrs.  Wycoff  had  the  repu 
tation  of  being  no  better  than  her  husband, 
and  Fanny's  fate  was  generally  commiserated 


246  LITTLE   WOLF. 

when  it  was  known  that  she  was  to  be  nurse 
and  chore  girl  in  that  family.  She  had  been 
there  but  a  few  months,  however,  when  the 
infant  under  her  charge  suddenly  sickened 
and  died,  and  as  she  was  too  small  and  deli 
cate  to  be  put  to  hard  labor,  the  family  bad 
no  futher  use  for  her.  These  facts  coming 
to  Little  Wolf's  knowledge  through  Daddy, 
she  had  successfully  employed  him  to  gain 
Mr.  WycofFs  consent  to  give  the  child  up  to 
her." 

There  was  a  world  of  gratitude  in  Fanny's 
sweet  blue  eyes,  when  occasionally  she  would 
modestly  turn  them  up  to  Little  Wolf  as 
they  rode  in  silence. 

Daddy  was  to  much  absorbed  in  holding 
the  reins  to  think  of  anything  else,  and  as 
they  neared  the  last  long  hill  he  drew  a  sigh 
of  relief,  "  'tween  you  an'  me,  we're  all  right 
so  fur,"  he  said. 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth 
before  they  were  half  way  up  the  hill.  Just 
on  the  brow  they  saw  a  two  horse  team, 
which  as  the  road  was  narrow  and  the  sides 


LITTLE  WOLF.  247 

precipitous  and  rocky  could  only  be  passed 
with  safety  where  it  then  was.  Imagine 
then  the  dismay  of  the  little  party  as  they 
saw  the  heavy  sled  descending,  and  the 
driver  madly  urging  on  his  horses. 

Daddy  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  Lit 
tle  Wolf  sprang  upon  her  feet  and  waved 
her  handkerchief  with  all  her  might,  and  lit 
tle  Fanny  said  dispairingly,  "  Oh  its  Mr. 
Wycoff,  he  is  drunk,  oh  he  will  run  over  us." 

Down,  down,  with  fearful  rapidity  came 
the  heavy  team,  the  driver  flourishing  his 
whip  and  shouting  dreadful  oaths  ;  while  like 
lightning  leaped  Fleet  Foot  onward  to  his 
destiny.  An  instant  more  and  Little  Wolf 
had  thrown  Fanny  from  the  sleigh  and  leap 
ed  after  her  down  the  side  hill.  There  was 
a  crash,  a  prolonged  neigh  ;  Fleet  Foot's 
death  yell,  as,  for  an  instant,  he  hung  sus 
pended  from  the  sleigh,  which  had  caught  on 
a  projecting  rock,  and  all  was  silent  save  the 
distant  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  and  the  faint 
hallos  of  the  drunken  maniac. 

At  the  moment  of  the  collision,  Daddy  had 


248  LITTLE   WOLF. 

risen  lo  his  feet  and  was  in  some  unaccount 
able  way  thrown  uninjured  into  the  road. 
Although  stunned  and  bewildered  by  the  fall, 
his  faculties  gradually  brightened  and  he  was 
soon  in  a  condition  to  survey  the  scene. 

On  a  ledge  of  rocks  overhanging  the  prec 
ipice  was  the  forlorn  wreck  of  the  once  fanci 
ful  little  sleigh.  In  the  depths  below  lay 
Fleet  Foot,  stretched  motionless  upon  the 
rocky  bottom.  The  deep  ravine  into  which 
he  had  been  plunged  ran  angling,  and  formed 
the  point,  where  by  her  presense  of  mind 
Little  Wolf  had  saved  herself,  and  Fanny 
from  almost  certain  death. 

•  At  this  point  the  hill  was  less  steep,  and 
the  snow  had  fallen  to  a  great  depth,  forming 
a  bed  as  soft  as  down,  and  cushioning  the 
very  rocks.  Upon  this  capacious  couch  of 
unsullied  whiteness,  lay  Little  Wolf  and 
Fanny. 

Powerless  himself  to  render  any  assistance, 
Daddy  opened  his  mouth  and  there  went 
forth  a  wail  such  as  caused  Little  Wolf  to 
start  and  shudder  as  she  thought  of  what  it 


LITTLE  WOLF.  249 

might  portend.  But  her  worst  fears  were  in 
a  moment  dispelled,  as  she  saw  Daddy's  anx 
ious  face  bending  imploringly  over  the  bank. 

"  Honey"  said  he  most  dolefully., 
.  "  Yes,  Daddy." 

"  'Tween  you  an'  me,  you  ain't  hurt  nun, 
be  you  ?  " 

"  Not  very  much,  Daddy,  but  when  I  try 
to  rise  I  only  sink  deeper  in  the  snow. 
Hark  !  I  hear  the  sound  of  bells." 

"Well,  now,  if  there  ain't  Mr..  Sherman 
coming  down  the  hill,"  said  Daddy  delight 
fully.  t;  'Tween  you  and  me,  Honey,  that 
are  Mr.  Sherman  will  hev  fur  to  help  you  git 
out.  His  legs  is  a  heap  longer  than  these 
old  stumps  of  mine." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  RESCUE. 

HE  circumstances  which  had  brought 

IS 

Edward  Sherman  so  opportunely  to  the 

scene  of  disaster  were  simply  these  : 
On  his  way  to  call  upon  Little  Wolf  he  had 
ridden  round  to  Hank  Glutter's  saloon  in  or 
der  to  leave  a  package  of  Eastern  papers,  as 
an  act  of  courtesy  in  return  for  previous  fa 
vors  from  Hank.  As  he  pulled  up  before  the 
door,  Mr.  Wycoff,  urged  by  the  proprietor, 
came  reeling  out  with  blood-shot  eyes,  and 
swearing  that  he  would  never  leave  the  place 
without  another  drink.  Hank  had  some 


LITTLE   WOLF.  251 

trouble  in  coaxing  him  on  to  his  sled,  and 
getting  him  started  for  home.  Having  rid 
himself  of  his  troublesome  customer,  he  turn 
ed  his  attention  to  Edward. 

"  Come  in,  Mr.  Sherman,"  said  he,  "  I  am 
at  liberty  now.  That  man  Wycoff  has  been 
quite  an  annoyance  to  me  of  late.  He  has 
no  control  over  his  appetite,  and  consequent 
ly  ought  never  to  drink ;  but  I  can't  refuse 
him,  and  it  wouldn't  mend  the  matter  if  I 
did,  for  he  can  easily  get  it  elsewhere,  and, 
perhaps,  where  no  discrimination  would  be 
used,  and  he  would  become  too  much  intox 
icated  to  get  home  at  all ;  but  drunken  loaf 
ers  are  not  allowed  to  hang  around  here." 

"  I  have  brought  some  papers  which  I 
thought  you  might  like  to  look  at,"  said  Ed 
ward  taking  no  notice  of  what  the  other  had 
said. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Sherman,  you  had  bet 
ter  come  in  a  while.  I  have  just  received 
some  sherry  said  to  be  very  fine.  I  would 
like  your  judgment  upon  the  quality  of  the 
article." 


252  UTTLE   WOLF. 

"  Another  time,  Mr.  Glutter ;  I  am  in  some 
thing  of  a  hurry  to-day." 

"  Well,  just  wait  a  minute,"  said  Hank, 
and  he  darted  in  and  brought  out  a  bottle 
and  slipped  it  in  the  corner  of  the  sleigh  un 
der  the  buffalo.  "  There, "  said  he,  "  try  it  at 
your  leisure,  Mr.  Sherman." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Glutter, — good  day," 
and  Edward  hastened  to  the  home  of  Little 
Wolf. 

When  informed  by  Sorrel  Top  that  Little 
Wolf  had  gone  to  Mr.  Wycoff 's  for  Fanny, 
his  pride  was  at  the  moment  piqued ;  for  he 
well  knew  that  she  had  reason  to  suppose 
that  he  would  visit  her  that  afternoon.  Since 
the  memorable  New  Year's  eve,  when  lean 
ing  upon  Dr.  Goodrich's  arm,  she  had  so  res 
olutely  turned  away  from  him,  he  felt  that 
all  was  not  right  between  them  ;  and  he  had 
looked  forward  with  longing  impatience  for 
the  hour,  when,  once  more  alone  with  her,  he 
could  ask  an  explanation.  Although  he  was 
confident  that  she  was  then  absent  purpose 
ly  to  avoid  him,  alarm  for  her  safety  over- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  253 

came  every  other  feeling,  and  with  a  forebod 
ing  heart,  he  turned  in  the  direction  she  had 
taken. 

From  the  top  of  the  hill  he  saw  enough  to 
hasten  him  down  to  Daddy,  and  from  thence 
through  snow  and  rocks  to  Little  Wolf. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  darling? "  he  said,  eagerly 
grasping  her  hand. 

Little  Wolf  uttered  an  exclamation  of  pain 
and  fainted.  Edward  turned  pale.  "  Daddy," 
he  shouted,  throw  down  that  bottle  in  the 
corner  of  the  sleigh." 

"  What  is  it  you  want  fur  to  give  her,"  said 
Daddy,  doubtfully. 

"  It's  wino  ;  throw  it  down  here  quickly." 

"  She  won't  tech  the  infarnel  stuff." 

"  She  has  fainted,  you  simpleton ;  give  me 
the  wine." 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  there  ain't  no  bottle 
here,"  said  Daddy,  doggedly.  "  Sprinkle  a 
little  snow  in  her  face,  and  she'll  come  too." 

"  Daddy,"  thundered  Edward,  completely 
exasperated,  "  throw  down  that  wine,  or  I'll 
know  the  reason  why." 


254  LITTLE  WOLF. 

*'  The  reason  why,  is,"  said  Daddy,  delib 
erately,  "  there  ain't  no  bottle  in  this  ere 
sleigh  —  'tween  you  and  me,  this  ere  hoss  of 
yourn  is  gettin  mighty  oneasy,  I'm  obleeged 
fur  tu  stand  at  his  head  every  minute." 

"  Hitch  him  somewhere,  Daddy,  and  throw 
the  buffalo  over  him  • —  the  bottle  is  under 
the  buffalo,  you'll  find  it  and  bring  it." 

"  No  I  won't  bring  it  nuther,"  muttered 
Daddy  to  himself." 

"  I  guess  there's  something  the  matter  with 
Miss  DeWolf's  arm,  she  couldn't  use  it  when 
she  tried  to  get  up,  "  said  a  voice  close  be 
hind  Edward. 

He  turned  and  saw  that  the  suggestion  had 
come  from  Fanny  Green,  who  lay  a  short  dis 
tance  off,  cosily  wrapped  in  the  form  of  a  lit 
tle  black  bundle. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  Fanny  ?  "  he  said. 

"  O  no,  I'm  not  hurt  a  bit,"  she  answered 
brightly.  "  I  prayed  that  I  might  be  saved, 
and  I  was  saved." 

"  I  wish  you  would  pray  we  might  get  safe- 


LITTLE    WOLF.  255 

ly  up  this  steep  place  into  the  road,"  said  Ed 
ward. 

"  Miss  DeWolf  is  very  little,  replied  Fanny 
hopefully,  "I  guess  you  can  carry  her  up. 
If  my  cloak  was  off,  I  think  I  could  walk  by 
myself." 

Edward  undid  her  cloak  and  stood  her  up 
on  her  feet.  He  then  raised  Little  Wolf  in 
his  arms,  and  staggered  a  few  feet  in  the 
snow,  and  laid  her  down  again,  almost  dis 
couraged.  But  as  he  could  devise  no  other 
plan  to  rescue  her  from  her  unpleasant  situa 
tion,  he  redoubled  his  efforts.  He  occasion 
ally  stumbled  against  rocks,  and  fell  into 
drifts,  but  always  so  as  to  shield  his  burden 
from  harm. 

Daddy  was  stubborn  in  witholding  the  bot 
tle,  and  Little  Wolf  at  length  awoke  to  con 
sciousness  without  it.  Awoke  to  feel  herself 
pressed  close  to  Edward's  throbbing  breast, 
to  listen  to  endearing  words,  that  warmed  in 
to  new  life  and  vigor  the  hope  in  which  she 
had  indulged.  The  hope,  that  possibly, 
through  her  influence,  he  might  be  persuaded 


256  LITTLE  WOLF. 

to  give  up  the  only  habit   which  marred  his 
otherwise  unblemished  character. 

"  Darling,  darling,  you  are  safe  now  with 
me,"  he  whispered,  as  she  unclosed  her  eyes ; 
"  were  you  hurt  by  the  fall  ?  " 

"  Only  my  arm,  Edward  ;  it  is  very  painful. 
I'm  afraid  it  is  broken  —  oh,  put  me  down, 
the  pain  makes  me  faint." 

"  I  love  so  to  hold  you  to  my  heart,"  he 
said  as  he  let  her  slip  softly  on  the  snow,  and 
examined  the  wounded  member. 

"  It  is  really  broken,  just  above  the  wrist," 
he  said  in  surprise,  how  careless  I  have 
been ! " 

Edward  was  not  skilful  in  surgery,  but  he 
did  the  best  he  could  with  pocket  handker 
chief  bandages. 

Little  Wolf  nerved  herself  to  bear  the  pain 
which  every  movement  aggravated,  and  Ed 
ward  again  lifted  her  up. 

"  Now,  darling,  we  shall  soon  get 'to  the 
top." 

"  Where  is  Fanny  ?  "  said  Little  Wolf,  sud 
denly  remembering  her  protege. 


LITTLE   WOI.F.  257 

"  O,  she  is  somewhere,  working  her  way 
along  in  my  track,"  said  Edward. 

Both  looked  back,  and  not  far  behind  saw 
Fanny  kneeling  with  closed  eyes  beside  a 
snow  capped  rock.  Her  tiny  hand,  rough 
and  red  with  cold  and  toil,  clasped  devoutly 
upon  her  breast,  and  her  lips  moved  as  if  in 
prayer.  The  little  black  quilted  hood  she 
wore  had  fallen  back,  revealing  soft  golden 
hair,  radiant  in  the  slant  rays  of  the  declining 
sun,  and  upon  her  cheek  a  tear  glistened  like 
a  dew-drop  on  a  flower. 

"  The  tears  came  to  Liitle  "Wolfs  eyes. 
"  Poor  little  thing  !  she  feels  forsaken,"  she 
whispered,  "  let  us  wait  and  encourage  her." 

While  they  were  waiting  a  neighboring 
farmer  happened  along ;  a  strong,  stalwart 
man,  who  joined  right  heartily  in  helping 
them  out  of  their  difficulty. 

The  first  thing  that  Edward  did  when  Jie 
reached  the  sleigh  was  to  search  for  the  bot 
tle  of  sherry.  "  Strange,"  said  he  to  Little 
Wolf,  "  Mr.  Glutter  certainly  put  a  bottle  of 
sherry  here  as  I  came  along,  and  now  it  is 


258  LITTLE  WOLF. 

nowhere  to  be  found.     I  wish  I  had  it  for 
your  sake." 

Daddy  glanced  furtively  at  Little  Wolf, 
who,  suspecting  the  truth,  murmured  some 
thing  about  feeling  better. 

"  He  ain't  a  goin  fur  to  git  none  of  that  in- 
farnel  stuff  down  the  honey,"  said  Daddy  to 
himself,  as  the  sleigh  with  Edward,  Little 
Wolf,  and  Fanny  disappeared  down  the  other 
side  of  the  hill. 

A  consultation  was  next  held  between 
Daddy  and  the  farmer  as  to  the  probable  con 
dition  of  Fleet  Foot,  which  was  speedily  as 
certained  by  the  latter  who  chanced  to  have 
a  rope  with  him  suitable  for  letting  himself 
down  to  where  he  could  test  the  case.  Scale- 
ing  the  rocks  with  his  temporary  ladder,  he  re 
turned  the  verdict  "  died  of  a  broken  neck." 

"  I  was  pretty  nigh  sartin  he  was  stun 
dead,"  said  Daddy,  gravely.  "  I'm  much 
obleeged  to  ye,  neighbor ;  I  guess  I'll  go  hum, 
bein  I  can't  du  nothin  fur  the  poor  critter.  — 
I  tell  ye,  neighbor,  these  are  things  takes 
right  hold  on  me.  Fleet  Foot  was  a  buster, 


LITTLE  WOLF.  259 

and  I  sot  heaps  by  him,  and  so  did  the  honey. 
'Tween  you  and  me,  that  cussed,  infarnel 
liquor  drinkin  is  at  the  bottom  of  a  awful 
heap  of  trouble.  If  I  could  make  the  laws, 
the  hull  infarnel  stuff  would  be  handled  like 
pison  and  pistols,  ruther  keerful." 

"  Wycoff  is  pretty  well  off,  I  guess  he  can 
be  made  to  pay  pretty  heavy  damages,"  said 
the  farmer. 

"  'Tween  you  an'  me,  that  ere  is  poor  con 
solation.  Supposen  the  honey's  neck  had 
been  broken,  and  the  chances  was  agin  her, 
what  money  du  ye  think  could  pay  for  her 
life  ?  I  tell  ye  what,  the  thing  is  all  wrong, 
liquor  makin  and  liquor  sellin  does  mischief 
that  no  money  can't  pay  fur." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


AN     INDIAN      MESSENGER 
DEATH. 


FROZEN      TO 


HE    evening    hour    drew    on.     Little 
Wolf  lay  upon  her  bed  feverish  with 


pain.  Her  arm  was  in  bandages,  and 
Dr.  Goodrich  stood  by  soothing  and  encour 
aging  her.  Louise  Sherman  having  arrived, 
kindly  relieved  Mrs.  Hawley,  who  embraced 
the  opportunity  to  slip  out  and  regale  herself 
with  a  cup  of  tea. 

As  she  approached  the  kitchen,  the  sound 
of  Daddy's  voice  reached  her  ear,  and  the 


LITTLE   WOLF.  261 

few.  words  that  she  caught  hastened  her  foot 
steps  thither. 

"  It  was  as  much  as  ever  I  could  du  fur  to 
hold  Fleet  Foot,"  he  was  saying  as  she  open 
ed  the  door. 

"  Go  on,  Daddy,"  said  Mrs.  Hawley  as  he 
paused  at  her  entrance,  "  I  want  to  hear  all 
about  it." 

"  Wall,  as  I  was  a  tellin  Sorrel  Top,"  he 
continued,  "  I  was  pretty  nigh  done  out  a 
holdin  Fleet  Foot,  when  we  got  tu  that  are 
long  hill,  fur  I  was  a  leetle  afeared  he  might 
git  the  better  on  me,  but  the  Honey  want, 
she  ain't  never  afeared  of  nothin  nor  never 
was,  but  she  was  oncommon  quiet,  she  hadn't 
spoke  for  a  long  time  —  when,  all  at  once, 
jest  as  we  was  agoin  up  the  hill,  what  should 
we  see  but  Wycoff's  big  team  a  tearin  down 
like  Jehu.  He  was  a  swearin  and  a  cussin 
and  there  want  no  dodging  of  him.  I  riz 
right  up  and  hollered,  and  the  Honey  riz  up 
and  hollered  and  shook  her  handkerchief, 
but  it  want  no  use.  Down,  down  it  cum  like 
lightning,  sled  and  all.  Fleet  Foot  got 


262  LITTLE  WOLF. 

skeered  with  the  hollerin  and  he  jest  went 
it.  Wall,  the  Honey  ketched  up  Fanny 
in  a  jiff,  and  tossed  her  out,  and  was  out  her 
self  afore  I  knowed  it,  and  I  was  jest  a  goin 
fur  to  git  out  when  the  teams  cum  together 
kersmash,  and  I  was  pitched  head  fust  clean 
over  Wycoff's  sled  inter  the  road,  and  would 
no  doubt  hev  been  killed  but  my  time  hadn't 
come.  'Tween  you  and  me,  it  i&foreordinat- 
ed  that  we  won't  die  till  our  time  comes. 
Fur  you  may  pitch  a  man  about,  and  break 
him  all  tu  bits  and  he  lives  and  gits  well. 
But  when  his  time  comes,  the  prick  of  a  pin 
will  kill  him  and  nothin  on  airth  ken  save  him. 
Wall,  the  fust  thing  I  did  when  I  found  my 
self  alive,  was  to  look  for  the  Honey,  and 
afore  I  hed  a  chance  fur  to  help  her,  that  are 
Sherman  happened  along,  and  left  me  in 
charge  of  his  hoss,  while  he  went  fur  to  fetch 
her.  The  fust  thing  I  hearn  was  a  great 
hollerin  fur  a  bottle  of  wine  that  he  had  in 
his  sleigh.  Wall,  I  took  the  infarnel  stuff 
and  slung  it  as  fur  as  I  could  see  and  told 
him  there  want  nun  there." 


LITTLE   WOLF.  263 

"  Miss  DeWolf  would  give  you  fits  if  she 
knew  what  you'd  done,"  said  Sorrel  Top, 
"  the  wine  want  yourn." 

"  Wall,  it  was  the  devil's,  and  I  slung  it  tu 
him,"  retorted  Daddy  triumphantly,  "  that 
are  Sherman  was  riled,  and  I  let  him  sweat, 
fur  I  want  a  goin  fur  to  hev  him  pour  pisen 
down  the  Honey.  No  doubt,  if  he  had  gin  it 
tu  her,  her  blood  would  hev  got  heated  and 
fever  hev  sot  in.  Some  folks  don't  seem  to 
know  nothin  about  them  things,"  said  the 
speaker  darting  a  contemptous  glance  at 
Sorrel  Top. 

"  Well,  Daddy,  what  happened  next  ? " 
said  Mrs.  Hawley,  soothingly. 

"  I  ain't  a  goin  fur  to  tell  nothin  more  to 
night,"  said  Daddy  decidedly.  "  If  folks 
can't  listen  without  interruptin  me,  they  may 
wait  till  they  ken,"  and  he  shot  another 
meaning  glance  at  the  offending  Sorrel  Top. 

"I  guess,"  said  Sorrel  Top  with  some  as 
perity  "  you're  not  the  only  one  that  can  teli 
me  about  it,  is  he  Fanny  ?  "  she  said  turning 


264  LITTLE  WOLF. 

to  Fanny  Green,  whom  she  discovered  to 
have  fallen  fast  asleep  in  her  chair. 

"  'Tween  you  an  me,"  said  Daddy  rather 
dryly,  "  I  guess  you  won't  hear  no  more  of 
that  are  story  to-night." 

Sorrel  Top's  temper  was  slightly  ruffled 
and  she  began  to  shake  Fanny  rather  rough 
ly.  "Wake  up,  Fanny,"  said  she  "wake 
up." 

"Oh!  Mrs.  Wycoff,  don't  whip  me," 
mourned  Fanny  piteously,  as  she  opened  her 
eyes,  "  I  didn't  mean  to  go  to  sleep,  but  I 
was  so  tired." 

"  Don't  you  know  no  better  than  to  treat 
a  little  motherless  thing  in  that  are  way  ?  " 
said  Daddy  coming  indignantly  forward. 
"  Come  here,  Fanny,"  and  he  took  the  child 
tenderly  in  his  arms ;  "  if  anybody  speaks  a 
cross  word  to  you  in  this  are  house,  they'll 
git  reported." 

By  degrees  Fanny  awoke,  and  was  borne 
off  to  bed  by  Mrs.  Hawley. 

Scarcely  had  they  gone  when  a  new  object 
of  interest  attracted  Daddy's  attention. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  265 

There  was  a  slight  rustling  at  the  outside 
door,  and  in  stalked  a  sturdy  Indian  in  blank 
et  and  leggins  and  soft  moccasins,  causing 
his  firm  tread  to  fall  noiselessly,  and  giving 
Daddy  a  superstitious  start,  as  if  he  had 
seen  an  apparition.  The  red  man  stated  in 
broken  English  that  he  had  brought  a  letter 
a  long  way  from  the  "  lodge  of  the  pale  face, 
to  the  Wolf  squaw." 

Daddy  hastened  to  put  the  letter  in  Little 
Wolfs  hand.  It  proved  to  be  a  rather 
lengthy  communication  from  Antoinette  La 
Claire,  and  as  all  were  interested,  at  Little 
Wolf's  request,  Louise  proceeded  to  read  it 
aloud. 

"  Fairy  Knoll,  Jan.  20th,  18—. 
MY  DEAR  Miss  DEWOLF  : 

A  faithful  Indian,  known  for  a  long  time 
to  cousin  John,  has  called  here  on  his  route 
to  Chimney  Rock  and  I  embrace  the  oppor 
tunity  to  write  to  you,  as  it  will  probably  be 
the  last  I  shall  have  before  spring  opens. 

Cousin  John  has  fitted  up  a  cosy  little 
room  for  me  in  the  loft.  It  is  hung  around 
with  skins  and  blankets,  and  is  made  com- 


266  LITTLE   WOLF. 

fortably  warm  by  the  fire  below.  There^  is 
one  little  window  from  which  I  obtain  a  fine 
view  of  the  "  City  of  Trees,"  which  you  used 
so  much  to  admire.  They  are  now  shorn  of 
their  foliage,  and  show  and  ice  cover  the 
branches,  and,  forsaken  by  their  summer  in 
habitants,  they  stand  and  sadly  moan  day 
and  night. 

But  these  mournful  sounds  pass  unheeded, 
by  the  happy  couple  in  this  peaceful  cottage. 
Not  a  cloud  has  yet  darkened  their  "  honey 
moon."  All  their  hours  are  pleasant  hours, 
and  all  their  dreams  are  pleasant  dreams. 
On  these  wintry  mornings  we  rise  rather  late ; 
after  the  sun  has  peeped  in  at  the  window  a 
long  time. 

Cousin  John  goes  out  in  the  warmest  part 
of  the  day  to  split  rails,  but,  even  then,  he 
finds  it  convenient  to  take  his  brandy  bottle 
with  him.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  effica 
cy  of  brandy  to  keep  out  the  cold.  But 
when,  with  the  experience  I  have  had,  I  see 
him  in  perfect  strength  and  health,  go  out 
day  after  day  with  that  little  flask  in  his  side 
pocket,  I  pray  that  it  may  never  become  a 
snare  to  him. 

Yesterday  morning,  as  he  was  about  start 
ing,  I  ventured  to  remonstrate  with  him. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  267 

"  Cousin  John  "  I  said,  "  I  would  not  take 
the  brandy  to-day,  I  do  not  think  you  will 
miss  it."  He  laughed  good  naturedly,  and 
turning  to  Cousin  Maria,  he  said,  '  Maria 
dear,  Antoinette  is  concerned  about  my  mor 
als.  Shall  I  tell  her  of  a  certain  lady  who 
drained  Mr.  Sherman's  wine  bottle  on  her 
way  to  Fairy  Knoll  ?  " 

Cousin  Maria  blushed  and  said,  "  I  am  sor 
ry  John  that  I  ever  touched  it.  Let  us  now 
mutually  pledge  ourselves  never  again  to 
drink  anything  that  will  intoxicate."  But 
Cousin  John  only  laughed,  and  kissed  his 
young  wife  tenderly  and  went  away  to  the 
wood,  taking  the  brandy  bottle  with  him. 

When  he  came  home  at  night,  and  the  sup 
per  was  over,  and  he  had,  as  usual,  seated 
himself  by  Maria  and  taken  her  hand  in  his, 
(at  which  signal  I  invariably  become  sudden 
ly  sleepy  and  am  obliged  to  retire,)  I  stole 
away  from  the  scene,  and  sitting  down  by 
my  little  window,  looked  out  into  the  faint 
moonlight,  and  thought  much  and  long  upon 
the  joys  and  sorrows  of  earth,  but  most  upon 
its  sorrows,  for  the  "  whole  creation  groan- 
eth,"  and  my  own  heart  is  always  sorrowful. 

I  do  not  know  why,  but  it  may  have  been, 
and  probably  was,  because  all  the  anguish 


268  LITTLE  WOLF. 

and  sorrow  that  has  ever  come  under  my  per 
sonal  observation,  has  been  occasioned  by 
that  drink  that  "  biteth  like  a  serpent,  and 
stinge  th  like  an  adder,"  that  the  scene  of  the 
morning  mingled  with  the  thought  of  my 
cousins  below  eagerly  quaffing  their  cup  of 
bliss ;  the  sweetest  that  earth  offers  to  youth 
ful  lips.  '  Can  bitter  drops  ever  mingle 
there  ? '  thought  I.  '  Can  the  honey  become 
wormword  and  gall,  and  every  joy  be  forgot 
ten  ?  Can  the  little  speck  that  I  thought  I 
saw  this  morning  on  the  horizon  become  a 
great  cloud  and  overshadow  us  all  ?  '  In  im 
agination  I  saw  lovely  cousin  Maria  pale  and 
faded,  and  careworn,  and  cousin  John's  noble 
and  manly  countenance  bloated  and  brutish, 
as  I  have  seen  men  become  by  the  use  of 
stimulating  drinks,  and  involuntarily  I  threw 
up  my  hands  and  cried,  'Is  there  none  to 
help  ? ' 

It  may  have  been  a  morbid  condition  of  the 
mind  that  wrought  these  sad  fancies,  and  I 
am  sure  those  who  have  never  realized  the 
danger  of  the  cup  would  treat  them  lightly, 
but  you  dear  friend,  know  that  from  just  such 
beginnings  the  most  harrowing  sorrows  have 
sprung. 

I  know    cousin    John  would  smile  if  he 


LITTLE  "WOLF.  269 

knew  what  a  serious  matter  I  have  made  of  a 
thing  that  he  considers  so  trifling,  and  he  is 
so  good  and  kind  to  ine.  and  his  whole  soul 
so  free  from  vice,  that  I  almost  regret  having 
put  these  thoughts  on  paper.  But  out  of  the 
fulness  of  my  anxious  heart  I  have  written 
as  perhaps  I  ought  not. 

God  grant  that  all  my  fears  may  prove 
groundless,  and  that  the  serpent's  sting  may 
never,  never  more  through  another's  infatua 
tion  -reach  our  hearts,  or  yours. 

I  was  at  length  aroused  from  my  reverie  by 
our  Indian  visitor.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  him 
just  as  he  emerged  from  the  woods,  and  be 
fore  I  could  go  down  to  announce  his  coming, 
he  was  within,  and  by  his  noiseless  footfall 
had  taken  my  cousins  greatly  by  surprise, 
Maria  was  smoothing  her  rumpled  hair  and 
looking  rather  annoyed  at  the  unceremonious 
intrusion,  while  cousin  John  and  his  visitor 
were  deep  in  the  mysteries  of  "jargon," 
which  being  interpreted  by  my  humble  self 
was  truly  startling  and  shocking. 

He  stated  that  two  "  pale  faces,"  were  ly 
ing  a  short  distance  off,  frozen  to  death.  His 
supposition  was  that  they  had  indulged  too 
freely  in  "  fire  water." 

Cousin  John  immediately  accompanied  him 


270  LITTLE  WOLF. 

to  the  spot,  and  found  indeed  two  men  cold 
and  stiff  in  death,  and  the  empty  Lottie  found 
upon  .their  persons  gave  evidence  of  the 
cause.  The  Indian  recognized  one,  having 
seen  him  with  my  dead  brother,  and  said  he 
was  "  no  good  pale  face,"  and  his  name  was 
Prime  Hawley.  They  found  in  the  pocket 
of  the  other  an  old  letter  addressed  to  "  Hiram 
Green,  Chimney  Rock."  You  may  possibly 
know  something  about  the  latter. 

"  Fanny  Green's  father,  and  Mrs.  Hawley's 
husband,"  ejaculated  Little  Wolf.  "  Hark, 
Louise,"  she  added  in  a  whisper,  "  they  have 
heard  it  all." 

Sounds  of  distress  were  heard  in  the  ad 
joining  room  where  Mrs.  Hawley  was  engag 
ed  in  putting  her  little  charge  to  rest.  Both 
she  and  Fanny  had  heard  every  word  of  the 
letter  and  the  news  of  the  unhappy  death  of 
the  husband  of  the  one,  and  the  father  of  the 
other,  burst  suddenly  "upon  them,  and  deep 
and  tearless  groans  of  Mrs.  Hawley  and  Fan 
ny's  heart  breaking  sobs  mingled  together. 

u  Put  the  letter  away  Louise,  do,''  said  Lit 
tle  Wolf,  turning  her  face  away  with  a  heart 
truJy  sick. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  CRISIS  —  PRIDE  AND  FOLLY. 

For  weeks  Antoinette's  letter  lay  in  the 
drawer  where  Louise  had  hastily  thrust  it, 
and  no  one  had  read  it  to  the  end. 

Mrs.  Hawley's  health,  which  had  been  fee 
ble  for  a  long  time,  rapidly  declined  after  the 
news  of  her  husband's  death,  and  in  a  few 
days  she  took  to  her  bed,  and  shortly  after 
died.  The  sickness  and  death  of  a  member 
of  her  family,  combined  with  her  own  suffer 
ings  so  absorbed  the  mind  of  Little  Wolf, 
that  at  the  time  she  thought  of  but  little  else. 


272  LITTLE  WOLF. 

But  when  it  was  all  over,  and  her  arm  had 
partially  healed,  she  began  to  realize  acutely 
the  anomalous  position  in  which  the  purpose 
she  had  formed  placed  her  to  Edward. 

It  is  true  he  came  every  day,  and  always 
with  words  upon  his  lips  that  sent  the  hot 
blood  to  her  cheek,  and  each  time  she  strove 
in  vain  for  courage  to  approach  the  subject 
upon  which  hung  her  destiny.  It  was  no 
wonder  that  she  thus  halted ;  that  her  heart 
stood  still  at  the  bare  possibility  of  losing  its 
idol ;  for,  orphaned  and  alone,  beyond  it  she 
saw  no  light  in  her  path  ;  only  fearful  dark 
ness  like  the  shadows  of  death. 

There  had  been  no  word  of  explanation, 
and  Edward  seemed  to  have  forgotten  that 
he  had  ever  desired  any,  and  he  had  settled 
into  his  former  assurance.  His  mother  had, 
of  late,  spoken  to  her  confidentially  of  the 
time  when,  as  Edward's  wife  it  would  be  her 
pleasure  to  relieve  her  of  all  troublesome 
cares  ;  and  Little  Wolf  listened  in  silence  and 
in  agony.  She  longed  to  unbosom  her  feel 
ings  but  restrained  herself  with  the  resolve 


LITTLE  WOI-F.  273 

that  she  would,  without  delay,  make  them 
known  to  Edward. 

In  this  state  of  mind  she  one  day  opened 
the  drawer  where  lay  Antoinette's  letter  and 
taking  it  out  sat  down  to  read  it.  She  found 
nothing  of  interest  in  the  contents,  except 
that  which  she  had  previously  heard,  until 
her  eye  caught  the  postscript  at  the  bottom 
which  read  thus  : 

"  One  day  later.  The  Indian  stayed  yes 
terday  to  assist  in  burying  the  dead.  He  has 
just  breakfasted  and  will  start  in  a  few  mo 
ments,  and  I  hasten  to  tell  you  the  good 
news.  Rejoice  with  me,  all  my  fears  are  put 
to  flight.  Last  night  my  conscience  told  me 
that  I  ought  to  invite  cousin  John  to  read 
this  letter.  He  looked  so  serious  when  he 
had  done  so,  that  I  was  afraid  I  had  offended 
him.  But  this  morning  to  my  utter  astonish 
ment  he  handed  me  a  Total  Abstinence 
Pledge,  drawn  up  in  due  form,  with  his  own 
name  and  Maria's  signed  to  it,  and  playfully 
bade  me  write  my  name  with  theirs.  "  For," 
said  he,  "Antoinette,  I  intend  in  future  to 
look  well  to  the  morals  of  my  household,  and 
see  that  they  touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not, 


274  UTTLE  WOLF. 

any  beverage  that  will  intoxicate."  I  burst 
into  tears,  and  he  said,  "  0  well,  if  you  feel 
so  badly  about  it,  you  need  not  sign  it,"  but 
he  well  knew  they  were  tears  of  joy,  and 
there  would  be  no  trouble  about  signing 
it.  Would  that  the  head  of  every  family  in 
the  land,  might  do  as  cousin  John  has  done. 
Then  indeed,  there  would  be  rejoicing  around 
many  a  fireside,  where  now  sits  sorrow  and 
despair.  In  love  and  haste, 

"  ANTOINETTE," 

Little  Wolf  sat  pondering  over  what  she 
had  read,  never  dreaming  that  her  lover  was 
peeping  in  upon  her  through  the  half  open 
door.  But  Edward  was  to  full  of  what  he 
had  come  that  day  especially  to  say,  to  delay 
long,  and  he  tapped  lightly  to  attract  her 
attention.  Little  Wolf  welcomed  him  to  her 
side,  with  the  determination  that  she  would 
then  and  there  speak  frankly  upon  the  sub 
ject,  which  had  so  long  pressed  upon  her 
mind. 

But  Edward  had  scarcely  seated  himself 
before  he  began  in  high  spirits  to  speak  of 
family  arrangements. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  275 

"  Louise  and  the  doctor,"  said  he,  "  have 
finally  fixed  upon  their  wedding,  and  darl 
ing,"  he  said,  lowering  his  voice,  and  speak 
ing  earnestly,  "it  remains  for  you  to  say 
whether  or  not,  ours  shall  be  at  the  same 
time. 

Little  Wolfs  pulse  quickened  almost  to 
suffocation,  but  she  controlled  herself  brave 
ly,  and  placing  her  finger  on  the  last  passage 
in  Antoinette's  letter,  she  said,  "  read  that, 
Edward." 

Edward  did  as  she  desired,  and  again -turn 
ed  upon  her  a  questioning  look. 

"Now,  Edward,"  said  Little  Wolf,  smiling 
although  her  lip  slightly  quivered,  "I  am 
ready  to  set  up  house-keeping  with  you  any 
time,  provided  you  will  put  your  name  with 
mine  to  a  pledge  like  that  of  which  you  have 
just  read." 

Although  she  had  spoken  playfully,  Ed 
ward  saw  she  was  deeply  in  earnest,  and  his 
pride  kindled,  as  the  truth  flashed  upon  him. 
"  Darling,"  said  he,  reproachfully,  "  I  may 
have  given  you  reason  once,  in  an  unguarded 


276  LITTLE  WOLF. 

moment,  to  fear  for  me,  but  I  had  hoped  that 
that  scene  had  long  since  been  forgotten." 

"  It  will  never  more  be  remembered,  noth 
ing  of  the  kind  will  ever  be  remembered," 
Little  Wolf  hastened  to  say,  "  If  I  but  have 
your  promise." 

';  Well,  then,"  said  Edward  clasping  her  in 
his  arms,  "  I  promise." 

In  due  time  Little  Wolf  disengaged  herself 
and  opening  her  writing  desk,  she  drew  him 
towards  it,  saying,  "  Now,  Edward,  you  draw 
up  the  document,  and  we  will  both  sign  it. 

''  What  document  do  you  wish  me  to  draw 
up  ?  Is  not  my  pledged  word  to  love,  cher 
ish  and  protect  you  not  enough,  you  little  in 
fidel  ?  "  said  Edward  gayly." 

"It  is  my  request  that  you  draw  up  a 
pledge  promising  to  abstain  from  all  intoxicat 
ing  drinks,  and  sign  your  name  to  it,  and  I 
will  put  mine  to  the  same,"  said  Little  Wolf, 
in  the  same  gay  humor. 

"  Why,  darling,"  said  Edward,  in  surprise, 
"  my  promise  was  all  you  asked." 

"  O  yes,  your  promise  to  sign  a  total  absti- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  277 

nence  pledge  was  all  I  did  ask,"  said  Little 
Wolf  cheerily,  "  and  now,  all  I  ask  is  that 
you  do  as  you  agreed." 

"  I  did  not  understand  it  so,"  said  Edward, 
"  but  never  mind,  darling  ;  now  listen  to  me. 
Would  you,  provided  it  were  in  your  power, 
prevent  my  taking  a  harmless  glass  of  beer  in 
a  warm  summer  day  ?  " 

"  Well,  Edward,  of  course  I  would  not 
wish  to  prevent  your  indulging  in  any  harm 
less  enjoyment,  but  don't  people  sometimes 
get  intoxicated  on  beer  ?  " 

"  Only  slightly  elevated,"  said  Edward 
laughingly. 

"  O,  Edward  !  "  broke  forth  Little  Wolf  in 
agony,  "  I  wish  you  could  see  this  thing  as 
I  do  but  you  cannot." 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  moments, 
which  E<Jward  broke  by  saying,  sympathiz- 
ingly,  "  I  know  why  you  feel  as  you  do.  darl 
ing,  and  I  do  not  wonder  at  it,  but  warned 
by  my  own,  as  well  as  the  experience  of 
others,  I  shall  keep  a  strict  watch  over  my- 


278  LITTLE  WOLF. 

self  for  your  dear  sake,  and  I  assure  you 
there  is  no  danger  of  me." 

"  Then,"  said  Little  Wolf,  despairingly,  "  I 
cannot  persuade  you  to  pledge  yourself  to  to 
tal  abstinence  ?  " 

"  No,*'  said  Edward  decidedly,  his  pride 
deeply  wounded  by  her  implied  doubts  of  his 
inability  to  control  his  appetite,  "  if  you  feel 
that  you  cannot  trust  }rourself  with  me  after 
all  I  have  said,  I  can  say  no  more." 

Had  Edward  fallen  dead  at  her  feet,  Little 
Wolf  could  not  have  looked  at  him  more 
hopelessly.  But  Edward  was  blind  to  her 
mute  anguish,  and  mortified  and  impatient  at 
her  silence,  and  little  dreaming  of  what  her 
answer  would  be,  he  at  length  asked  rather 
coolly,  "  Do  you  really  feel  that  you  cannot 
trust  your  happiness  with  me  ?  " 

Little  Wolf  struggled  a  moment  for  com 
posure,  and  then  bowed  her  head  in  the  af 
firmative. 

Edward's  flushed  face  suddenly  paled. 
"Very  well,"  said  he  proudly,  and  without 
another  word  abruptly  withdrew.  His  quick, 


LITTLE  WOLF.  279 

impetuous  footsteps  echoed  through  the  hall ; 
the  front  door  opened  and  closed,  and  soon 
the  distant  tinkling  of  bells  announced  that 
he  had  really  gone. 

As  the  lovely  violet  closes  its  leaves  when 
the  shadows  of  night  gather  round,  so  closed 
the  flower,  which,  in  the  sunshine  of  love, 
had  bloomed  in  the  heart  of  Little  Wolf.  She 
neither  wept  nor  made  any  other  demonstra 
tion  of  sorrow,  but  as  she  sat  silent  and  alone 
her  lips  grew  firm,  and  her  eyes  brightened 
and  the  pupils  expanded,  and  her  whole  be 
ing  seemed  rising  up  in  supernatural  strength 
to  bear  the  blow. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  SLEIGHING  PAKTY  —  CLARA  HASTINGS 
—  MOTHER  AND  SON 

^  N  his  way  home,  Edward  Sherman 
found  himself  suddenly  assailed  by  a 
chorus  of  eager  voices,  as  he  unexpect 
edly  encountered  a  sleighing  party  of  gay 
young  friends.  They  were  bound  for  a  set 
tlement  near  by,  where  rural  festivities  were 
in  anticipation. 

As  he  reluctantly  drew  up  alongside  of  the 
capacious  establishment,  where  nearly  a  doz 
en  ladies,  (including  his  own  sister),  and 


LITTLE   W01F.  281 

about  the  same  number  of  gentlemen  were 
cozily  stowed  away,  he  was  beset  with  urgent 
solicitations  to  join  their  company. 

The  affair,  they  stated,  had  been  gotten  up 
on  a  short  notice  during  his  brief  absence 
from  the  city,  and  his  sister  had  been  in 
veigled  into  it,  with  the  expectation  of  meet 
ing  her  brother,  and  particular  friend  Dr. 
Goodrich.  But  the  doctor  had  given  them 
the  slip,  and  they  could  not,  on  any  account 
dispense  with  his  society.  Louise  joined  her 
entreaties  with  the  others.  "  I  will  ride  with 
you,  brother,"  she  said,  if  you  will  only  go." 

"  No,  no  ;  "  objected  the  gentleman  who 
sat  next  her,  "  I  will  propose  a  more  fitting 
expedient.  Let  Mr.  Sherman  close  his  eyes 
and  throw  a  soft  snow  ball  into  the  crowd, 
and  upon  whomsoever  the  ball  shall  rest,  let 
her  be  transferred  to  his  sleigh." 

The  proposition  at  first  occasioned  quite  a 
tumult,  but  finally  all  laughingly  agreed  to 
it.  Into  their  midst  quickly  flew  the  lump 
of  glittering  snow  and  rested  upon  the  belle 
of  the  party,  Miss  Clara  Hastings,  and  Ed- 


282  LITTLE   WOLF. 

ward  in  triumph  bore  off  the  crested  prize. 

Miss  Hastings,  we  have  said,  was  the  belle 
of  the  party,  nor  was  this  all ;  she  was  one  of 
the  most  popular  young  ladies  in  the  city  of 
Pendleton.  Her  father,  Judge  Hastings,  a 
man  of  talent,  and  high  standing,  had  be 
stowed  every  advantage  upon  his  only  child, 
and  she,  petted  and  caressed  in  society  as  well 
as  in  the  family  circle,  handsome  and  dashing 
in  appearance,  with  spirits  unbroken,  gave 
life  and  interest  to  every  amusement  in  which 
she  was  engaged.  The  turn  the  affair  had 

o    o 

taken  was  therefore  as  much  regretted  by  her 
friends,  as  it  was  gratifying  to  Edward,  to 
have  obtained  so  agreeable  a  companion. 

The  lady  herself  did  not  appear  in  the  least 
disturbed  by  the  change.  On  the  contrary, 
as  they  started  off  in  advance  of  the  rest,  her 
smiling  face  indicated  the  satisfaction  which 
she  felt  at  the  result ;  for  from  the  first  of  her 
acquaintance  with  Edward,  she  had  conceiv 
ed  a  decided  partiality  for  him. 

"  It  will  be  nice  to  get  there  and  rest  and 
warm  before  the  others  arrive,"  she  said,  as 


LITTLE  WOLF.  283 

they  rapidly  outdistanced  the  other  sleigh. 
"  Yes,  and  have  a  little  time  all  to  our 
selves,"  Edward  replied,  in  pretty  much  the 
same  style  in  which  he  would  have  addressed 
Little  Wolf,  had  she  been  by  his  side. 

Miss  Hastings  looked  surprised  and  tossed 
her  head  proudly,  freeing  the  plumes  in  her 
jaunty  little  cap  of  their  snowy  remains,  and, 
as  the  soft  particles  showered  upon  Edward, 
and  pelting  his  cheek,  he  turned  and  looking 
her  full  in  the  face  said,  "  those  little  ice 
bolts,  Miss  Hastings,  serve  to  remind  me 
of  what  a  lucky  individual  I  have  been  this 
afternoon." 

"  Have  you  always  been  lucky,  Mr.  Sher 
man  ?  "  said  Miss  Hastings  waiving  the  in 
tended  compliment. 

A  look  of  pain  crossed  Edward's  face,  but 
he  answered  quickly,  almost  defiantly,  "  Not 
always,"  and  giving  his  horse  a  smart  cut,  he 
created  such  a  jingling  among  the  bells,  that 
farther  conversation  was  rendered  impractica 
ble, 


284  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  The  destination  was  soon  reached,  and, 
being  joined  by  the  remainder  of  the  party, 
the  evening  hours  charged  with  pleasure  flew 
rapidly,  to  most  of  the  assembled  guests. 
But  neither  Edward,  nor  Miss  Hastings 
were  in  their  happiest  mood,  and  the  latter 
complaining  of  a  headache  Edward  signified 
his  willingness  to  conduct  her  home  before 
the  party  broke  up. 

Again  in  the  open  air,  her  indisposition 
was  relieved,  and  she  chatted  cheerily,  and 
made  herself  so  agreeable,  that  her  compan 
ion  really  became  quite  interested,  and,  loth 
to  part  with  her,  as  they  drove  up  before  her 
lather's  house,  he  proposed  to  prolong  their 
ride. 

"It  is  early  yet,"  he  said,  "  and  your  head 
is  so  much  better  in  the  open  air,  would  you 
not  like  to  drive  out  of  the  city  again  for  half 
an  hour  ?  " 

"  0  no,  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Sherman,"  she 
said  with  a  gratified  smile,"  "  the  family  are 
up  waiting  for  me,  and  I  would  be  happy  to 
have  you  go  in  and  see  papa.  He  will 


LITTLE   WOLF.  285 

treat  you  to  a  glass  of  superior  domestic 
wine." 

Edward  went  in  and  drank  the  wine,  and 
spent  a  pleasant  half  hour.  Shortly  after 
leaving  he  fell  in  with  some  friends,  who  in 
vited  him  into  another  place  where  choice 
wines  were  kept,  and  he  drank  again  and  yet 
again,  and  finally  went  home  quite  exhilerated 
under  the  influence  of  stimulant.  He  found 
that  his  sister  had  arrived  some  time  previous 
ly,  and  she  and  his  mother,  and  the  doctor 
were  quietly  seated  around  the  center-table, 
and  had  been  wondering  at  his  non-arrival. 

"  Give  an  account  of  yourself,  loiterer," 
said  Louise,  playfully,  as  he  joined  the  circle. 

"  We  had  a  fine  time  Lou,  did  we  not  ?  " 
said  he  patting  her  cheek. 

"  O,  if  by  we  you -mean  yourself  and  Miss 
Hastings  I  suppose  you  did  have  a  good  time, 
but  I  did  not  enjoy  myself  a  bit." 

"  Not  a  bit,  are  you  quite  sure  ?  I  thought 
I  saw  you  smile  very  benignly  on  a  certain 
young  getleman,  who  objected  to  your  rid 
ing  with  me." 


286  LITTLE  WOLF. 

"  An  optical  dulusion,  brother,  entirely  so, 
I  would  have  much  preferred  to  have  gone 
with  you." 

"  Now  I'll  kiss  you  for  that,"  said  Edward, 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word. 

"  O  Ned,  what  have  you  been  drinking  ? 
Your  breath  smells  of  something" 

"  O,  I  went  in  and  took  a  glass  of  domestic 
wine  with  Judge  Hastings,"  said  Edward 
carelessly. 

Mrs.  Sherman  instantly  took  the  alarm. 
"  I  am  afraid,"  she  said,  that  these  domestic 
wines  create  an  appetite  for  more  hurtful 
drinks.  Don't  you  think  so,  Edward  ?  " 

"  Why  no,  mother.  If  every  family  kept 
a  supply  of  pure  domestic  wine  in  the  cellar, 
and  were  at  liberty  to  drink  when  they  pleas 
ed,  there  would,  in  my  opinion,  be  much  less 
drunkenness  than  there  is  at  present.  Plen 
ty  of  pure  wine  would  soon  do  away  with  the 
adulterated  liquors  so  common  in  public 
places  and  social  drinking  would  become 
much  more  harmless  than  it  is  at  present.  I 
would  advise  you,  mother,  to  keep  up  a  vig- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  287 

orous  correspondence  with  Recta  on  the  sub 
ject,  about  currant  time  next  summer,  for  it 
is  getting  quite  fashionable  to  manufacture 
your  own  wines." 

"Mark  my  words,  Edward,  the  fashion 
will  prove  an  injury  to  society  ;  frequent  in 
dulgences  in  any  drink  that  will  intoxicate, 
it  is  well  known,  has  always  proved  more  or 
less  fatal  to  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  com 
munities,  as  well  as  individuals.  I  can  well 
remember  the  time  when  social  drinking  was 
practised  in  almost  every  family,  and  at  all 
fashionable  entertainments,  and  I  well  re 
member  the  consequences.  The  ruin  it 
wrought  cannot  be  told.  It  was  wine  in  the 
cellar,  and  on  the  side  board,  Edwa»d,  as 
well  as  stronger  drinks  that  did  the  mischief. 
Good  men  and  brave,  felt  its  effects  and  gave 
the  alarm,  and  great  efforts  were  made  to 
put  a  stop  to  the  evil,  and  thousands  were 
reclaimed  from  drunkenness,  but,  of  late 
years,  the  agitation  has  in  a  measure  subsid 
ed,  and  the  evil  is  again  on  the  increase,  in 
sinuating  itself  into  families  in  the  form  of 


288  LITTLE  WOLF. 

domestic  wines,  which  are  generally  suppos 
ed  to  be  so  harmless,  but  which  are,  in  reali 
ty,  the  foundation  of  intemperance." 

"You  cannot  make  people  believe  that 
mother." 

"The  time  will  come  when  they  will  be 
forced  to  believe  it,  my  son  ;  for  the  free  use 
of  domestic  wines  in  families,  is  not  going  to 
keep  husbands,  brothers  and  friends  from  the 
lager  beer  saloons  where  the  feet  of  the  un 
wary  become  so  easily  entangled.  On  the 
contrary,  past  experience  proves  that  the 
taste  for  stimulating  drinks  acquired  at  home 
rather  has  a  tendency  to  lead  men  to  frequent 
such  places." 

"  But,  mother,  remember  it  is  not  the  use 
of  these  things,  but  the  abuse,  that  does  the 
harm." 

"  True,  my  son,  but  the  use  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten,  leads  to  the  abuse,  and  it  is  strange 
that  mothers  and  sisters  will  imperil  their 
happiness  for  fashion's  sake.  I  would  rather 
that  Judge  Hastings  had  offered  you  an  ad 
der  in  the  cup,  than  the  drink  which  he  did ; 


LITTLE  WOIJT.  289 

for  had  you  seen  the  poisonous  reptile,  you 
would  have  turned  from  it,  but,  hidden  in 
the  enticing  wine,  the  serpent's  sting  fastens 
itself  upon  the  vitals  and  its  victim  knows  it 
not," 

O,  mother,  you  are  perfectly  beside  your 
self  011  the  subject.  Judge  Hastings  is  a  man 
who,  I  make  no  doubt,  has  drank  moderate 
ly  all  his  life  ;  and  who  among  us  is  more 
vigorous  in  mind  and  body  ?  It  is  all  non 
sense,  the  idea  that  a  man  must  necessarily 
become  a  drunkard,  because  he  occasionally 
indulges  in  stimulants." 

"  Ma,  ma,"  broke  in  Louise,  who  saw  that 
her  mother  felt  hurt,  "  you  might  as  well 
hand  Edward  over  to  the  persuasion  of  Miss 
DeWolf.  If  anybody  can  convert  him  she 
can.  The  doctor  says  she  becomes  more 
beautiful  and  interesting  every  day.  What 
do  you  think,  Ned  ?  The  doctor  was  there 
this  afternoon  while  we  were  out  sleigh  rid 
ing  ;  he  confesses  it  himself. 

"  I  must  bid  you  good  night,"  said  Edward 
abruptly,  and,  quite  to  the  surprise  of  the 


290  LITTLE   WOLF. 

trio  he    withdrew    without    another    word. 

His  mother  suspecting  something  wrong, 
followed  him  to  his  room,  and  with  true 
motherly  solicitude  sought  out  the  cause. 
"  Edward,"  said  she,  "  when  you  were  a  boy, 
you  used  to  confide  all  your  annoyances  to 
your  mother.  Can  it  be  that  anything  lias 
been  said  this  evening  to  wound  your  feel 
ings  ?  " 

"  There  are  none  that  love  like  a  mother," 
said  Edward,  putting  his  arm  tenderly  around 
her  neck,  "  and  there  is  none  in  whom  I  can 
so  safely  confide  as  in  you,  mother,  but  man 
hood's  griefs  are  not  so  easily  soothed  as  boy 
hood's.  It  is  not  now  a  broken  kite  to  mend, 
or  a  bruised  finger  to  bind  up,  would  it  were  ; 
would  that  I  had  not  lived  to  see  this  day." 

"  Why,  Edward,  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean,  mother,  that  Miss  DeWolf  has 
refused  to  become  my  wife,  and  all  because  I 
would  not  consent  to  pledge  myself  to  total 
abstinence  from  all  liquors.  I  would  not  de 
ceive  her  and  bind  myself  to  pursue  a  differ 
ent  course  from  that  which  I  intend.  My 


LITTLE  WOLF. 

habits,  I  believe,  are  generally  considered 
good,  and  if  a  woman  cannot  take  me  as  I 
am,  I  would  not  ask  her  to  take  me  at  all." 

'•  O  Edward,  Edward,"  said  Mrs.  Sherman 
beseechingly,  "do  not  let  wounded  pride, 
and  self-will,  come  between  you  and  the  wo 
man  you  really  love,  for  I  do  assure  you, 
young  ladies  like  Miss  DeWolf  are  very  rare." 

"  Were  she  a  thousand  times  more  lovely 
and  interesting,  beloved  more  she  could  not 
be,  but,  mother,  I  shall  never  yield  the  point, 
and  admit  that  I  am  incapable  of  controlling 
my  appetite.  When  it  suits  me  to  take  a  so 
cial  glass  with  a  friend,  I  shall  do  it ;  and 
when  I  choose  to  decline  it  shall  be  of  my  own 
free  will." 

"  You  are  a  free  agent,  certainly,  Edward, 
you  may  pursue  the  course  you  have  marked 
out  for  yourself,  and  go  through  life  a  moder 
ate  drinker,  and  young  men  may  point  to  you 
as  you  have  to  Judge  Hastings,  and  make 
your  escape  an  excuse  for  venturing  in  the 
same  dangerous  path,  and  thus  go  down  to  a 
drunkard's  grave ;  or  you  may  yourself  ven- 


292  LITTLE   WOLF. 

ture  to  near  the  precipice,  and  before  you  are 
aware  take  the  fatal  plunge ;  for  drunken 
ness,  like  death,  generally  takes  the  victim 
unawares.  In  either  case  your  influence 
must  inevitably  act  upon  those  with  whom 
you  associate,  and  you  cannot  escape  the 
fearful  responsibility.  Then  judgment  day 
alone  will  open  the  records  of  those  who 
have  been  forever  ruined  through  the  influ 
ence  of  moderate  drinkers,  as  well  as  the  con 
firmed  drunkard.  The  preponderating  in 
fluence,  however,  lies  with  the  moderate 
drinker  ;  with  such  men  as  Judge  Hastings ; 
who,  perhaps,  have  given  the  subject  but  lit 
tle  thought,  and  who  having  through  a  long 
course  of  years  tampered  without  apparent 
injury,  with  the  intoxicating  cup,  deem  that 
others  may  do  as  he  has  done. 

"  Yes,  and  so  they  may,  mother,  if  they 
choose.  Every  man  must  answer  for  his  own 
crimes  and  not  for  the  crimes  of  others." 

"  True  Edward,  and  if  your  neighbor  be 
come  a  drunkard,  see  to  it  that  the  sin  lies 
not  at  your  door." 


LITTLE  WOLF.  293 

Edward  made  a  gesture  of  impatience. 
"  Mother  "  he  said  bitterly,  "  I  am  not  in  a 
mood  to  hear  much  more  to-night.  I  am  sor 
ry  that  we  do  not  think  alike,  but,  as  we 
never  shall,  perhaps  the  less  said  about  it  the 
better." 

Mrs.  Sherman  silently  kissed  her  son,  and, 
with  a  foreboding  heart,  withdrew  to  her  own 
room. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

LETTER    WRITING  —  DADDY'S    NOCTURNAL 
LABORS  AND  EARLY  WALK. 

HERE  were  two  letters  written  by 
lamp  light  in  the  old  brown  house,  the 
day  Edward  left  so  unceremoniously. 
One  was  by  Little  Wolf  to  her  confidential 
friend,  Mrs.  Tinknor.  A  few  hasty  hopeless 
lines  traced  upon  the  dainty  sheet ;  a  long 
glossy  curl  folded  within  and  her  task  was 
done. 

The  other,  Daddy  addressed  to  the  sweet- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  295 

heart  of  his  youth,  Miss  Orrecta  Lippincott. 
He  had  for  some  time  meditated  opening 
a  correspondence  with  the  object  of  his  early 
affections  on  the  subject  of  matrimony,  but 
the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking  had  hith 
erto  deterred  him ;  and,  at  last,  he  was  only 
brought  to  the  point  by  the  encouragement 
of  his  young  mistress. 

He  had  resorted  to  his  regularly  organized 
plan  of  loitering  in  her  room  under  pretext 
of  mending  the  fire,  while  he  marked  with 
admiration  the  easy  movements  of  her  pen. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  Honey,"  said  he, 
when  she  had  finished,  "  I  wish  I  could  write 
like  that.  I've  been  wanting  fur  to  write  a 
letter  fur  sometime. 

Little  Wolf,  without  the  remotest  idea  of 
what  the  subject  of  the  letter  in  contempla 
tion  was  to  be,  said  kindly,  "  Well,  Daddy, 
you  may  sit  right  down  here  if  you  like,  and 
use  my  pen  and  ink." 

Daddy  shuffled  along  hesitatingly  towards 
the  vacant  seat.     "  Tween  you  and  me  I'm  . 
afeared  I  shall  make  a  very  sorry  job  on  it,'* 


296  LITTLE  WOLF. 

said  he,  "I  ain't  writ  none  to  speak  on  this 
forty  year." 

"  Shall  I  write  it  for  you  Daddy  ?  " 

"  O  no,  Honey.  I'll  try  myself,  fust  any 
how." 

"  O  well,  I'll  go  down  to  the  parlor  and 
you  shall  have  the  room  all  to  yourself." 

"  I  couldn't  stand  it  no-how  fur  ter  hev 
the  Honey  laugh  at  the  old  man's  foolishness," 
muttered  Daddy  to  himself,  as  Little  Wolf 
slipped  away,  glad  to  be  relieved  of  all  re 
sponsibility  in  the  "matter,  and  feeling  less 
perhaps  like  laughing  at  the  old  man's  eccen 
tricities  than  ever  before  in  her  life  ;  and,  in 
deed,  it  was  a  long  time  afterwards  before  she 
felt  like  laughing  at  all. 

In  the  hall  leading  to  the  parlor,  she  met 
Sorrel  Top,  who  blushingly  begged  a  private 
interview,  which  Little  Wolf  was  too  oblig 
ing  to  deny,  although  she  panted  to  indulge 
her  thoughts  alone. 

The  interview,  however,  did  not  detain  her 
long.  Sorrel  Top  had  under  consideration 
an  offer  of  marriage  and  wished  to  ask  advice 


LITTLE   WOIOT.  297 

•which  Little  Wolf  gave  without  a  smile,  or 
change  of  countenance. 

"  Well,  Sorrel  Top,  if  he  is  as  you  say  a 
man  of  good  habits,  and  loves  you  and  you 
love  him,  I  see  no  objection  to  your  getting 
married  as  soon  as  you  like.'* 

While  Sorrel  Top's  affair  was  being  thus 
satisfactorily  disposed  of,  Daddy  was  anxious 
ly  bending  over  the  sheet,  upon  which  he 
could  not  get  courage  to  make  the  first  mark. 
There  he  sat  silent  and  anxious,  looking  va 
cantly  first  at  the  ceiling,  then  at  the  pen 
which  stood  exactly  perpendicular  between 
his  clumsy  fingers.  At  length  in  dispair  he 
arose  and  began  to  walk  the  floor,  and  then 
for  the  first  time  he  observed  Fanny  Green 
quietly  playing  with  her  pet  kitten. 

"Fanny,"  said  he,  "do  you  know  how  to 
write  ?  " 

"  O  yes,  Daddy,  a  little  ;  mamma  taught 
me  to  make  all  the  letters." 

"  Well,  Fanny,"  said  he  coaxmgly,  "  come 
here  and  make  a  D  for  me ;  won't  you  ? 
"  'Tween  you  and  me  I've  forgot  which  side 


298  LITTLE   WOLF. 

the  plaguey  quirl  goes.  Here  take  this  ere 
piece  of  paper,  you  might  spile  the  sheet,  and 
I'm  mighty  particular  about  hevin  it  in  prime 
order." 

As  she  took  the  pen  Fanny  suddenly  be 
gan  to  distrust  her  memory.  "Maybe  I've 
forgot  myself,  Daddy  ;  "  rolling  up  her  blue 
eyes  to  the  anxious  face  bending  over  her. 
But  she  succeeded  admirably  in  performing 
her  task,  which  Daddy  duly  approved,  by 
declaring  that  the  quirl  was  almost  equal  to 
the  Honey's  quirls.  His  effort  to  copy  it 
was  also  a  success. 

"  See  here,  Fanny,"  said  he  pausing  again, 
"  you  spell  dear,  d-e-r-e,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  O  no,  Daddy,  I  spell  it  d-e-e-r.  It's  spell 
ed  so  right  under  the  picture  of  one  in  my 
book/' 

"  'Tween  you  an'  me,  I  don't  mean  that 
ere  kind  of  a  dear,  Fanny,  I  guess  it's  d-e-r-e, 
I  mean.  Howsoever,  I'll  spell  it  so  and  risk 
it.  Now,  Fanny,"  said  he,  again  dipping  his 
pen  in  the  ink,  "  you  stand  right  here,  fur 
there  may  be  more  letters  that  I've  forgot 


LITTLE  WOLF.  299 

how  tu  make,  and  if  you'll  show  me,  and 
help  me  fur  to  spell  a  letter,  I'll  mend  your 
sled  for  you  to-morrow." 

Thus  encouraged,  the  child,  with  visions 
of  coasting  in  her  pretty  little  head,  combin 
ed  wisdom  with  Daddy's,  who  also  had  his 
visions,  while  he  wrote  as  follows  : 
DERE  ORRECTA. 

"  Mi  hart  has  allers  ben  yourn,  it  is  old 
now,  but  it  ain't  dride  up  nun.  will  yu 
marry  me  now  iv  got  tu  be  a  poor  old  man. 
if  yu  wil  i  wil  cum  fur  yu  on  the  fust  bote. 
iv  got  a  leetle  muny  lade  up  fur  a  wet  day.  i 
hev  allers  ben  stidy,  and  never  drunk  any 
thing  in  my  hull  life,  if  yu  wil  hev  me  let  me 
no  as  quick  as  lightnin  figerative  speekin. 
your  old  flame, 

philip  Roarer 

Chimney  Rock.        Minnesota  territory." 

"  'Tween  you  an'  me  I  reckon  that  ere  is 
tu  the  pint,  anyhow,"  said  Daddy,  proudly 
folding  the  letter,  upon  which  he  had  spent 
two  hours  of  hard  mental  labor.  "  I  wonder 
what  keeps  the  honey  away  so  long  ;  it  must 
be  monstrous  cold  in  the  parlor.  Tom  Tink- 


300  LITTLE   WOLF. 

nor  wont  thank  me  fur  lettin  the  Honey  git 
cold  ;  bless  her  heart.  That  ere  sled  will  git 
fixed  to-morrow,  you  may  depend  on't,  Fan 
ny,  fur  I  shall  feel  fust  rate ; "  and  Daddy 
capered  out  of  the  room  as  jolly  as  a  half 
grown  boy,  with  a  plum  pudding  in  anticipa 
tion.  But,  we  will  do  him  the  justice  to  say, 
that  there  was  a  depth  and  earnestness  of 
feeling  in  this  life-long  devotion,  to  which  the 
ebullitions  of  youth  can  bear  no  comparison. 

How  to  break  the  matter  to  Little  Wolf 
was  Daddy's  next  anxiety.  He  stood  in  mor 
tal  dread  of  the  ridicule  of  his  young  mis 
tress,  but  still  felt  that  he  ought  to  confide 
in  her.  After  taking  several  fidgety  turns 
before  the  parlor  door,  he  finally  resolved  to 
make  the  denouement,  and  boldly  face  the 
consequences. 

But  the  condition  in  which  he  found  Lit 
tle  Wolf  changed  the  course  which  he  had 
marked  out.  She  had  lain  down  upon  the 
sofa  where  fearfully  pale  and  cold  and  still, 
she  rested,  utterly  prostrated  by  the  events 
of  the  day.  Daddy  had  never  seen  such  a 


LITTLE  WOLF.  301 

ghastly  look  upon  her  face  before,  and  the 
vague  fear  that  life  had  fled  horrified  him, 
as  he  stood  gazing  at  her  in  mute  astonish 
ment. 

At  a  movement  of  the  slight  little  figure 
Daddy  was  reassured,  and  he  bent  over  her 
in  tender  solicitude,  "  O  Honey,  O  Pet,  be 
you  sick  ?  you  look  awful  pale  ?  " 

A  groan  escaped  Little  Wolf,  and,  with  a 
long  drawn  sigh,  she  rose  up  languidly.  "  I 
don't  feel  quite  well  to-night,  Daddy,"  she 
said. 

"  O,  Honey,  you  ought  fur  to  have  some 
body  to  nuss  you;  old  Daddy  don't  know 
nothin  about  gals,  and  Sorrel  Top  don't 
know  nothin  about  nussin  neither.  Now 
here's  the  letter  I've  jest  writ,  if  you  feel  able 
fur  to  read  it,  Honey,  you  will  see  that  I  am 
tryin  fur  to  git  somebody  here  fur  to  take 
care  of  you  suitable." 

Daddy  watched  closely  the  effect  upon 
Little  Wolf,  while  she  purused  the  letter,  and 
as  he  discovered  no  symptoms  of  ridicule,  he 
fairly  worshipped  her  for  her  forbearance. 


302  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  Honey,"  said  he,  "  what  du  you  think  on 
it?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Little  Wolf  ab 
sently,  "  I  think  on  the  whole  it  will  do  very 
well." 

Daddy's  face  fairly  shone.  "  I  know'd  you 
would  agree,  tu  it,"  said  he,  "  you  allers  had 
uncommon  penetration." 

Little  Wolf  sat  shivering  and  silent,  while 
Daddy  pronounced  his  eulogy,  and  the  old 
man  began  again  to  be  alarmed.  "  O  Hon 
ey,"  he  broke  forth,  "what  makes  you  so 
sick  ?  the  doctor  said  you  was  doin  fust  rate 
this  afternoon.  I  guess  I'd  better  go  fur  to 
fetch  him  right  off." 

"  O  no,  Daddy,  I'm  only  chilled ;  you  may 
light  me  to  my  room." 

"  Sartin  I  will.  Honey,  and  I'll  keep  a  fire 
fur  you  all  night,  fur  I  shouldn't  sleep  a  wink 
nohow." 

True  to  his  word,  Daddy  diligently  tended 
the  fire,  creating  in  Little  Wolf's  apartment 
a  general  disturbance  by  his  nocturnal  labors. 
Had  she  been  so  inclined,  sleep  would  have 


LITTLE   WOLF.  303 

been  impossible,  while  Daddy's  enthusiasm 
raged,  for  a  series  of  disasters  attended  his 
most  careful  efforts.  The  bedroom  door 
creaked,  the  stove  door  grated  on  its  hinges, 
the  shovel  and  tongs  would  rattle,  and  there 
was  sure  to  be  an  occasional  downfall  of 
wood,  which  echoed  through  the  lonely  house 
like  the  voice  of  seven  thunders. 

It  was  therefore  quite  a  relief  to  Little 
Wolf  when  the  grey  morning  hours  began  to 
dawn  and  Daddy  consented  to  seek  a  little 
repose,  with  the  promise  that  he  should  not 
be  allowed  to  over-sleep,  "  fur,"  said  he,  "  I 
must  start  airly  fur  to  post  them  are  letters, 
and  you  won't  mind  a  calling  of  me,  Honey, 
bein  you  had  such  a  oncommon  night's  rest, 
fur  I  took  particular  pains  not  to  disturb 
you." 

Little  Wolf  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to 
mention  that  she  had  lain  awake  the  entire 
night,  for  there  was  then  no  counting  upon 
the  effect  such  a  communication  might  have 
upon  Daddy's  already  over- wrought  sensibili 
ties.  As  it  was,  he  left  her,  flattering  him- 


304  LITTLE   WOLF. 

self  that  he  had  greatly  contributed  to  her 
health  and  comfort,  and,  with  an  approving 
conscience,  laid  him  down  and  slept. 

At  the  appointed  time  he  was  awakened 
by  Fanny,  and  rubbing  open  his  eyes,  he  ask 
ed,  "  Is  the  Honey  up  yet  ?  " 

"  O  yes.  Daddy  and  we've  all  had  break 
fast,  and  I've  got  my  sled  all  ready  for  you 
to  mend,"  said  Fanny  cheerfully. 

"  Why  yes,  Fanny,  I  know  I  promised  fur 
tu  mend  it ;  but,  'tween  you  and  me,  I've  got 
fur  to  go  to  Pendleton  first."  Howsoever, 
I'll  fix  it  afore  night." 

Fanny  looked  rather  grave. 

"  'Tween  you  an'  me,  I'm  sorry  fur  tu  dis 
appoint  you,  Fanny,  but  the  Honey  would 
be  wuss  disappointed  if  I  did  not  post  her 
letter." 

"  Yours  too,  Daddy,  you  musn't  forget  it," 
said  Fanny  thoughtfully. 

Notwithstanding  Fanny's  exhortation  Dad 
dy  actually  forgot  both  letters,  having  neg 
lected  to  take  them  from  his  pocket  when  he 
changed  his  coat,  Imagine  then  his  conster- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  305 

nation,  when,  having  arrived  at  the  post- 
office  and  rummaged  his  pockets  in  vain  he 
discovered  his  mistake. 

At  this  critical  juncture  young  Sherman 
and  Dr.  Goodrich,  arm  in  arm,  happened  to 
drop  in  at  the  office,  and  Daddy,  for  reasons 
of  his  own,  pounced  upon  the  latter  and  held 
him  fast.  "  Doctor,"  said  he,  "  'tween  you 
an'  me,  was  you  a  going  fur  tu  see  the  Hon 
ey  to-day  ?  She  was  took  very  poorly  last 
night.  I  was  afeared  she  was  clean  gone  one 
spell." 

"  Did  Miss  DeWolf  send  for  me,  Daddy?  " 
said  the  doctor  uneasily  regarding  the  grip 
that  the  old  man  had  fastened  upon  his  coat 
sleeve. 

kt  Why  no,  doctor ;  she  sent  me  fur  to  mail 
some  important  letters,  and  I  actually  left 
'em  at  home  in  my  tother  coat.  One  of 
'em  was  fur  to  go  tu  Miss  Tinknor  ;  'tween 
you  an  me  the  Honey  is  mighty  fond  of  Miss 
Tinknor.  I'm  kinder  calculatin  the  old  lady 
will  be  the  Honey's  mother-in-law  some 
day." 


306  LITTLE  WOLF. 

The  start  which  Edward  gave  at  this  an 
nouncement  was  perceptible  to  both  Daddy 
and  the  doctor.  The  former,  not  relishing 
such  a  demonstration  of  interest  from  so  ques 
tionable  a  source,  inwardly  resolved  to  pufc 
to  flight  the  false  hopes  by  which  he  imagin 
ed  the  young  man  was  agitated.  Casting  a 
side  long  glance  at  his  intended  victim  he  ad 
ded,  "  Mr.  Tom  is  a  very  uncommon  fine 
young  man ;  he  is  stidy ;  he  never  drinks 
nothin.  The  Honey  has  know'd  him  allers  ; 
they  played  together  when  they  was  children 
and  has  allers  been  uncommon  attached. 
Tom  particularly  requested  me  fur  tu  take 
good  care  of  her  while  he  was  gone,  and  I 
ain't  no  doubt  if  the  good  Lord  was  fur  tu 
take  her  away  it  would  nigh  about  break  his 
heart." 

"The  doctor,  conscious  that  Edward  did 
not  relish  the  subject,  and  anxious  himself  to 
terminate  the  interview,  waved  the  matter, 
simply  saying,  "I  shall  be  going  that  way 
by  and-by,  Daddy,  and  will  call  upon  Miss 
DeWolf  if  I  have  time." 


LITTLE  WOLF. 


307 


On  this  assurance  Daddy's  grasp  readily 
relaxed,  and  his  prisoner,*  taking  advantage 
of  this  favorable  symptom,  made  his  escape. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

DOING  AND.  GETTING  GOOD  —  WYCOFF'S  RE 
FORM. 

HE  day  was  mild  and  spring-like,  and 
Daddy  had  not  been  long  gone,  when 
the  snow  began  to  yield  to  the  soft 

touches  of  the  sun's  bright  rays. 

Fanny  stood  by  the  -window  and  sighed, 

and  wished  audibly  that  the  sun  would  "  put 

on  a  veil." 

The  wish  and  manner  so  entirely  foreign  to 

the  child's  naturally  cheerful  and  contented 

disposition  attracted  Little  Wolfs  attention. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  309 

"  Why  Fanny,  do  you  complain  of  this 
lovely  day  ?  "  she  said,  in  surprise. 

"  O  no,  Miss  DeWolf,  but  I  was- afraid  the 
snow  would  all  melt  away  before  my  sled 
was  mended,  and  I  love  so  much  to  be  out  of 
doors  coasting." 

"  How  would  you  like  to  take  a  walk  with 
me  ?  "  said  Little  Wolf,  willing  to  amuse  the 
child,  for  whom  she  had  already  conceived  a 
warm  affection. 

"  O  I  would  like  it  ever  so  much,"  said 
Fanny,  joyfully. 

"Now  where  shall  we  go,  Fanny?"  said 
Little  Wolf,  as  they  started  out. 

"  Why,  I  don't  know,"  said  Fanny  hesi 
tatingly  ;  "  when  mamma  used  to  take  me 
out,  she  said  we  must  go  somewhere  where 
we  could  do  good.  Sometimes  we  went  over 
to  old  Mrs.  Peters' ;  she  is  sick  all  the  time, 
and  has  no  one  to  help  her  except  her  grand 
son,  Charley.  Mamma  used  to  make  her  bed, 
and  read  the  bible  and  pray  with  her,  and 
comfort  her  all  she  could.  Poor  mamma  of 
ten  wished  she  could  carry  her  something 


810  LITTLE   WOLF. 

nice  to  eat,  but  we  hadn't  hardly  anything  to 
eat  ourselves.  May  be  you  wouldn't  like  to 
go  there,  though  ?  "  said  Fanny,  doubtfully. 

Little  Wolf  hesitated. 

"  She  used  to  know  your  mamma,"  said 
Fanny,  "  and  she  said  that  Mrs.  DeWolf  was 
one  of  the  kindest  friends  she  ever  had." 

"  We  will  go  there,  Fanny,"  said  Little 
Wolf  decidedly 

Their  way  lay  over  the  very  hill  where  oc 
curred  their  disastrous  collision  with  Mr. 
Wycoff ;  about  half  a  mile  from  the  foot  of 
which,  on  a  cross  road,  lived  Mrs.  Peters. 
Fanny  ran  joyously  on  before,  occasionally 
turning  back  to  call  Little  Wolf's  attention 
to  a  squirrel,  or  a  bird,  never  dreaming  that 
her  companion  was  less  interested  than  her 
self.  In  this  way  they  reached  the  top  of  the 
hill,  and  began  the  descent,  when  suddenly 
Fanny  began  to  look  grave  and  loiter  beside 
Little  Wolf.  At  length  she  spoke  in  a  sub 
dued  whisper,  "  There  lies  poor  Fleet  Foot, 
Miss  DeWolf;  he  will  never  breathe  again." 

Little  Wolf  sank  upon  a  rock  by  the  way- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  311 

side,  and  hid  her  face  in  her  hands.  She 
thought  and  said  aloud,  "  O,  why  was  I  spar 
ed  to  be  so  wretched  ?  " 

Fanny  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears.  "  What 
would  have  become  of  me  if  you  had  been 
killed  ?  "  she  sobbed. 

Surprised  at  this  demonstration  of  affection, 
Little  Wolf  looked  up  and  drew  Fanny  to 
wards  her.  The  child's  words,  she  knew  not 
why,  had  consoled  and  strengthened  her. 
"Fanny,"  said  she,  "everybody  must  have 
something  to  live  for,  and  I  have  you  " 

"  0  yes,  mamma  used  to  say  we  must  all 
live  to  do  good,"  said  Fanny,  brightening. 

Little  Wolf  rose  and  struggled  bravely  to 
choke  down  her  rising  feelings,  for  just  then 
she  was  comparing  the  bright  voyage  of  life, 
which  she  had  so  lately  pictured  for  herself, 
with  the  dark  and  stormy  reality.  At  that 
moment,  when  she  would  have  scorned  to 
indulge  in  pusillanimous  grief,  her  noble  spirit 
recognized  and  bowed  in  willing  obedience  to 
the  sublime  principle  involved  in  Fanny's 
life-inspiring  words* 


312  UTTLE  WOLF. 

"  Well,  Fanny,"  she  replied,  "  if  I  do  live, 
I  hope  it  will  not  be  in  vain.  I'm  afraid  I've 
been  very  wicked  and  selfish  all  my  life." 

"  O,  Miss  DeWolf  I'm  sure  you  are  the 
bestest,  preciousest  woman  next  to  my  mother, 
that  I  ever  saw  in  all  my  life." 

Fanny  made  this  declaration  with  the  air 
and  assurance  of  one  whose  years  had  em 
braced  a  century ;  but  at  that  moment,  an 
object  met  her  eye,  which  reminded  her  that 
she  was  but  a  helpless  child.  "0,  there  is 
Mr.  Wycoff !  "  she  exclaimed  suddenly,  as 
the  rough  farmer  was  seen  coming  up  the 
hill. 

Fanny  trembled  violently,  for  she  feared 
this  man.  But  Little  Wolf,  constitutionally 
brave,  in  her  present  state  of  mind  feared 
nothing,  composedly  seated  herself  again  up 
on  the  rock. 

The  farmer  advanced  slowly,  and  recog 
nized  Little  Wolf  with  a  bow,  and  reassured 
Fanny  with  a  cordial  "  How  are  you,  Fan 
ny  ?"  Then,  as  he  observed  traces  of  tears 
on  Fanny's  cheek,  and  Little  Wolf's  sad  look 


LITTLE   WOLF.  313 

and  mourning  dress,  he  stopped  short.  "Now 
Miss  DeWolf,"  said  he,  bluntly,  "  I  may  as 
well  say  it  first  as  last,  I  did  not  mean  to  run 
over  you  that  day,  but  I  had  been  drinking, 
and  did  not  know  what  I  was  about.  What 
ever  you  say  is  right,  I  will  pay  you,  for  I 
have  felt  mean  about  it  ever  since  ;  'specially 
as  you  haven't  made  any  fuss  about  it." 

Little.  Wolf  appeared  noble  indeed,  as  she 
feelingly  replied,  "  Mr.  Wycoff,  I  would 
cheerfully  make  the  same  sacrifice  again,  if 
by  that  means  I  could  persuade  you  never  to 
taste  another  drop  of  intoxicating  drink." 

"  O,  I  cannot  agree  to  that,"  said  Wycoff, 
"  but  I  shall  do  the  fair  thing  by  you,  for  you 
have  acted  like  a  lady." 

Then  Little  Wolf,  with  a  sudden  impulse, 
arose  and  stepped  forward,  and  began  to  plead 
earnestly  and  eloquently  with  the  man  to 
give  up  the  use  of  the  intoxicating  cup.  Nor 
did  she  plead  in  vain.  The  strong  man  at 
length  yielded  to  her  persuasions  ;  persuasions 
around  which  hung  the  fragrance  of  the 


314  LITTLE   WOLF. 

bruised    heart,  from  which  they  emanated; 
touching,  irresistible. 

Inspirational  hours  are  often  the  fruit^  of 
anguish  unutterable.  The  suffering  soul  be 
gins  unconsciously  to  feel  upward,  and,  at 
the  propitious  moment,  heaven  appoints  its 
work.  Thus  Little  Wolf  received  her  mis 
sion,  which,  with  characteristic  energy  she 
delayed  not  to  fulfil. 

His  word  having  been  pledged  to  total  ab 
stinence,  Wycoff  turned  back  towards  home. 

"  I  was  only  going  to  the  brewery  to  meet 
a  few  friends,"  he  said,  "  and  if  I  don't  drink 
with  them  I  may  as  well  keep  away." 

He  walked  along  with  Little  Wolf  and 
Fanny  as  far  as  the  cross  road,  and  when 
they  parted,  again  renewed  his  vow  right 
heartily.  "  Never  fear,  Miss  DeWolf,"  he 
said,  "  I  shall  never  taste  another  drop  of 
liquor,  so  help  me  Almighty  God." 

"  There,  now  we  are  certain,  ain't  we,  Miss 
DeWolf  ?  for  he  asked  God  to  help  him.  O, 
I'm  so  glad,  I'm  so  glad  you  have  lived  to  do 


LITTLE   WOLF.  315 

good,"  said  Fanr^,  as  the  farmer  passed  on. 

Fanny  was  exuberant.  Her  little  heart 
overflowed,  and,  at  intervals  during  the  re 
mainder  of  their  walk,  "  I'm  so  glad,  I'm  so 
glad,"  rang  out  on  the  still  air  in  sweet, 
childish  accents,  mingling  with  the  songs  of 
spring  birds,  and  echoing  through  the  lonely 
woods. 

Arrived  at  the  cottage,  they  met  a  warm 
welcome  from  Mrs.  Peters.  For  many 
years,  widowed  and  bed  ridden,  she  had  lin 
gered  in  pain  and  poverty.  Her  grandson 
Charley,  a  bright,  active  youth,  orphaned  at 
an  early  age,  had.  since  the  death  of  his 
mother,  been  her  constant  companion  and 
faithful  nurse. 

He  was  her  pride  and  her  delight,  and  she 
in  turn  shared  his  warmest  affections.  It 
was  beautiful  indeed  to  see  the  noble-hearted 
boy  yielding  all  his  young  strength  in  provid 
ing  for  her  wants.  His  small  earnings  at 
wood  cutting,  combined  with  the  charity  of  a 
few  kind  hearted  neighbors,  had  during  the 
winter,  kept  them  from  absolute  want.  No 


316  LITTLE  WOLF. 

wonder,  then,  that  the  ambitious  youth,  anx 
ious  to  escape  the  pinches  of  poverty,  was 
eager  to  accept  £  situation  in  Hank  Glutter's 
saloon,  that  morning  liberally  offered  by  the 
proprietor  in  person.  No  wonder  that,  griev 
ed  and  disheartened  by  the  opposition  of  his 
grandmother,  he  met  Little  Wolf  and  Fanny, 
(who  had  interrupted  their  discussion  of  the 
matter),  with  a  downcast  countenance. 

Conscious  that  his  manner  had  been  ob 
served,  the  old  lady  hastened  to  apologize, 
"  My  Charley  is  feeling  quite  badly  just  now," 
she  said.  "  Mr.  Glutter  called  here  this 
morning  on  the  way  to  one  of  our  neighbors, 
and  offered  him  a  clerkship.  He  will  call 
soon  for  his  answer,  and  I  was  just  telling 
Charley  that  I  was  unwilling  to  have  him  go 
where  he  would  be  exposed  to  so  many  temp 
tations." 

"  Grandmother  needs  the  money,"  said 
Charley,  "  and  it  is  for  her  sake  I  want  to 
go.  She  needn't  be  afraid  of  my  getting  bad 
habits." 

"  Well,    Charley,    we  will   talk  about   it 


LITTLE  WOLF.  317 

again  bye  and  bye,"  said  the  old  lady,  sooth 
ingly. 

"  But  there's  Mr.  Glutter,  now,  grandma," 
said,  the  boy  springing  to  the  door,  "  do  let 
me  tell  him  that  I  will  go,  do  grandma,"  he 
begged  with  painful  earnestness. 

"  Do  as  your  grandma  think's  best,  and 
you  will  not  be  sorry,"  said  Little  Wolf  in 
an  undertone  as  Hank  approached  the  door. 

"  Well,  my  man,"  said  Hank  with  great 
assurance. 

"  I  must  do  as  grandma  says,"  and  Charley 
threw  the  door  wide  open. 

At  sight  of  Mrs.  Peters'  visitors,  Hank 
gave  a  start  of  surprise,  but  quickly  recover 
ing  himself,  he  bestowed  upon  each  a  gentle 
manly  greeting,  and  without  futher  ceremony, 
plunged  into  the  business  upon  which  he  had 
come. 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Peters,  have  you  decided  to 
accept  my  offer  ?  " 

"  You  are  very  kind  and  generous,  Mr. 
Glutter,  a:ad  I  thank  you,"  said  the  old  lady, 
anxious  to  soften  her  refusal ;  but  too  honest 


318  LITTLE   WOLF. 

to  give  any  except  the  true  reason,  she  con 
tinued,  ''  the  truth  is,  I  do  not  like  to  have 
Charley  go  where  the  influence  will  be  so  un 
favorable  to  his  becoming  a  good,  sober  man." 

Had  she  studied  to  make  it  so,  Mrs.  Pe 
ters'  guileless  reply  could  not  have  been  more 
inflammatory  to  Hank's  temper ,  for,  like 
others  of  his  class,  he  was  peculiarly  sensitive 
to  any  reflection  cast  upon  his  business.  His 
eyes  flashed,  and  his  lip  curled  scornfully, 
but  having  in  mind  Little  Wolfs  presence, 
he  responded  smoothly  enough,  "  Very  well, 
Mrs.  Peters.  Good  morning ;  good  morning, 
ladies,"  and  bowed  himself  out  of  the  room. 

Mrs.  Peters  drew  a  sigh  of  relief,  but  poor 
"Charley,  after  struggling  a  moment  for  com 
posure,  left  the  apartment  witli  quivering  lip, 
and  Little  Wolf  soon  caught  a  view  of  him 
through  the  window,  wiping  his  eyes  with  his 
coat  sleeve. 

"Poor  dear  Charley,"  said  his  grandmoth 
er,  "  it  comes  hard  on  him  now,  but,  God 
willing,  I  hope  he  will  live  to  thank  me  for  it.'' 

Little  Wolf  rose  hastily.     "  I  must  go  out 


LITTLE  WOLF.  319 

and  have  a  little  talk  with  Charley,"  she 
said. 

"She  is  just  like  her  father,"  said  Mrs. 
Peters,  as  Little  Wolf  flitted  from  the  room, 
"  when  he  first  came  to  Chimney  Rock  he  was 
a  princely  looking  man. 

"  O,  she  is  the  beautifulest  lady  I  ever 
saw,"  was  Fanny's  enthusiastic  rejoinder. 

"  I  have  understood  that  she  is  very  gay 
and  fashionable  since  she  came  from  board 
ing  school." 

Fanny  was  at  first  rather  doubtful  as  to 
what  construction  to  put  upon  the  reports 
Avhich  had  reached  the  ears  of  the  old  lady, 
and  she  hesitated  to  endorse  anything  of  the 
nature  of  which  she  was  not  quite  clear  ;  but 
she  finally  compromised  the  matter  by  saying, 
"  if  it  is  very  good  to  be  gay  and  fashionable, 
then  she  is,  for  she  is  nothing  else  but  good." 

"  Well,  if  she  is  only  a  humble,  devoted 
Christian  like  her  mother,  I  shall  be  satisfied," 
sighed  Mrs.  Peters. 

Fanny  had  by  this  time  come  to  the  con 
clusion  that  gay  and  fashionable  was  only 


320  LITTLE  "WOLF. 

another  name  for  superior  goodness,  and  she 
answered  accordingly.  "  Why,  Mrs.  Peters, 
she  is  really  a  very  gay,  humble,  fashionable, 
devoted  Christion.  She  is  gooder  than  her 
mother,  for  she  never  took  me  away  from  bad 
people  as  she  did." 

Not  deeming  it  worth  while  to  enter  into 
any  troublesome  explanations,  Mrs.  Peters 
determined  to  suit  her  language  to  the  child's 
comprehension,  said  simply,  "  Well,  I  hope 
she  loves  God,  and  will  teach  you  to  love  him 
too." 

"  0,  she  does  love  God,  Mrs.  Peters.  I 
heard  her  speak  to  him  ever  so  many  times 
last  night,  and  I  was  teached  to  love  him 
before  she  had  me,"  said  Fanny  very  serious- 

iy- 

At  this  instant  the  object  of  their  conver 
sation  made  her  appearance  followed  by 
Charley,  whose  countenance  exhibited  quite 
a  different  aspect  from  that  which  it  had 
worn  a  short  time  previously. 

Little  Wolf  had  successfully  held  the  cup 
of  consolation  to  him  in  the  form  of  a  pres- 


LITTLE  WOI-F.  321 

ent  and  a  promise,  and  she  was  now  about  to 
take  her  leave,  but  Mrs.  Peters  detained  her. 
Never  came  one  into  her  presence  that  she 
allowed  to  depart  without  first  satisfying  her 
self  as  to  whether,  as  she  expressed  it,  they 
had  "got  religion." 

Now,  it  was  her  belief  that  pure  and  unde- 
filed  religion  before  God  is  this :  "  To  visit 
the  widow  and  fatherless  in  their  affliction, 
and  to  keep  ourselves  unspotted  from  the 
world."  An  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
book  in  which  these  sentiments  are  to  be 
found,  had  quickened  her  perceptions  as  to 
their  true  meaning,  and,  as  by  that  standard 
she  gave  judgment,  it  was  not  easy  to  de 
ceive  her. 

Highly  as  Little  Wolf  had  risen  in  her  es 
teem,  and  highly  as  Fanny  had  eulogized  the 
piety  of  her  young  benefactress,  there  yet  re 
mained  a  doubt  in  the  old  lady's  mind  as  to 
the  entire  soundness  of  her  religious  princi 
ples.  A  straightforward  question  while  she 
still  held  Little  Wolf's  hand  in  her  parting 
grasp,  "  Dear  child,  I  know  you  visit  the 


322  LITTLE   WOLF. 

widow  and  fatherless  in  their  affliction,  but 
do  you  keep  yourself  unspotted  from  the 
world  ?  " 

The  innocent  rejoinder,  "  I  do  not  quite 
know  what  that  means,  '  to  keep  yourself  un 
spotted  from  the  world,' "  resolved  her 
doubts. 

"  Well,  dear  child,  read  your  Bible  careful 
ly  and  you  will  find  out  all  about  it,"  exhort 
ed  Mrs.  Peters,  "  I  might  give  you  my  opin 
ion,  but  it  is  better  to  get  your  ideas  fresh 
from  the  fountain  head.  You  will  find  that 
those  spotless  robes  hang  very  high,  but  not 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  arms  of  faith." 

Our  heroine  went  away  deeply  pondering 
the  words  of  her  newly  found  friend. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

DADDY'S  SOLILOQUY  —  A  BEER-SOAKER  — 
A  KNOCK  DOWN  ARGUMENT  —  A  PRES 
ENT  FOR  LITTLE  WOLF. 

I  GUESS  that  ere  Sherman  won't  be 
•a  hanging  round  the  Honey  no  great 
deal  after  this  ;  if  he  does  I'll  put  an 
other  flea  in  his  ear  fur  I  ain't  a  going  fur  tu 
see  her  throwd  away  on  no  beer-soaker." 

Thus  soliloquized  Daddy,  as  he  watched, 
with  evident  satisfaction,  the  hurried  depart 
ure  of  the  young  gentleman,  whom,  when  we 
last  left  him  he  had  just  released  from  his  in 
evitable  trap. 


324  LITTLE   WOLF. 

A  horrible  oath  sounded  in  Daddy's  ear, 
and  he  lay  sprawling  on  the  pavement.  "  Call 
me  a  beer-soaker  again  will  you,"  and  out 
rolled  another  oath,  but  Daddy  did  not  hear 
it.  The  fall  had  stunned  him,  and  he  was 
taken  up  insensible. 

Absorbed  in  the  subject  which  was  agitat 
ing  his  mind  at  the  time  he  received  the  blow 
Daddy  had  raised  his  voice  to  a  high  pitch, 
and,  "beer-soaker,"  rang  out  loud  and  clear, 
reaching  the  ear  of  a  passer-by,  who,  being 
pretty  well  soaked  in  the  beverage  mention 
ed,  or  in  something  stronger,  resented  the  im 
agined  insult  after  the  manner  described. 

Proud  of  his  achievement,  which  he  had 
just  sense  enough  to  see  was  not  generally 
approved  by  the  crowd  that  had  gathered 
round,  Daddy's  assailant  proceeded  defiantly 
to  defend  his  cruel  deed.  "  He'd  better 
never  say  beer-soaker  to  me  again,  the  curs 
ed  scoundrel,  nor  look  it  either,  curse  him. 
Let  any  man  in  this  crowd  say  that  he  didn't 
deserve  what  he  got,  and  I'll 

"  You'll    come  right  along  with  me,  my 


LITTLE   WOLF.  325 

friend,"  and  the  foolish  boaster  was  marched 
off  by  the  city  authorities,  whom  from  past 
experience,  he  well  knew  it  was  useless  to  re 
sist. 

This  same  man,  now  led  away  amid  the 
exertions  of  Daddy's  friends,  had  gone  out 
from  his  humble  home  that  beautiful  sunny 
morning  with  the  solemn  promise  on  his  lips 
to  keep  sober  for  that  one  day  at  least.  His 
hopeful  long-suffering  wife  had  watched 
lovingly  his  receding  footsteps,  as  in  days, 
when  a  fond  husband  and  father,  he  always 
returned  sober.  All  day  long  she  went  trust 
ingly  about  her  work  with  kind  glad  Avords 
to  her  little  children,  whose  pleased  surprise 
td  receive,  as  of  old,  their  father's  fond  caress, 
she  delighted  to  imagine. 

But  alas  !  it  was  the  old  story.  The  man's 
will  was  too  weak  to  withstand  the  pursua- 
sions  of  drinking  companions,  and  the  tempt- 
tations  of  the  liquor  seller.  He  yielded,  and, 
when  once  he  had  got  the  taste,  wife  and 
children  and  all  were  forgotten.  At  a  late 
hour  that  night  the  li ttle  ones  were  put  sadly 


326  LITTLE   WOLF. 

away  to  bed;  the  supper  table,  spread  in.  joy, 
was  cleared  away  in  sorrow,  and  the  wife 
and  mother  was  again  doomed  to  wait,  and 
watch,  and  weep. 

But  let  us  return  to  Daddy.  Stretched 
on  a  couch  of  suffering  he  lies ;  impatient, 
vociferous  and  generally  unmanageable. 

"  Hurry  up  that  ere  doctor  afore  I  die,"  he 
exclaims  ;  "  hurry  him  up  I  say.  Lord,  that 
ere  pain  in  my  shoulder ;  now  its  in  my  long 
ribs  ;  now  its  in  my  short  ribs ;  I  ken  feel  it 
dare  down  to  my  heel  cord  and  toe  cord. 
Take  away  that  ere  infernal*  brandy,"  he 
cried,  raising  his  voice  to  its  highest  pitch, 
"  ye  don't  spose  I  want  fur  to  drink  pison,  do 
ye,  when  I'm  most  dead  already  ?  " 

"  But  it  will  strengthen  you,  Daddy,"  said 
the  attendant  soothingly. 

"  It  won't  nuther.  It  will  set  me  all  on 
fire  and  I'll  mortify  afore  the  doctor  gits 
here." 

When  Dr.  Goodrich  at  length  made  his 
appearance,  there  was  then  enacted  a  scene, 
if  possible,  still  more  uproarious.  Poor  Dad- 


LITTLE   WOLF.  327 

dy  winced  and  groaned  at  every  touch,  and 
of  times,  commanded  his  physician  to  desist  in 
his  examinations  of  the  injured  parts. 
"  Don't !  Hold  on  there  doctor,  you'll  yank 
me  all  to  bits.  There ;  stop  that  yanking  ; 
for  the  lord's  sake,  doctor,  hold  on  there." 

"  I  am  holding  on,  Daddy,"  said  the  doctor 
very  firmly,  as  he  mended  the  dislocated 
shoulder. 

The  necessary  surgical  operation  perform 
ed,  and  an  opiate  administrated,  with  the  as 
surance  that  no  serious  results  were  to  be  ap 
prehended,  and  Daddy's  mind  and  body  were 
soon  at  rest. 

Meantime,  in  happy  ignorance  of  Daddy's 
accident,  Little  Wolf  and  Fanny  plodded 
homeward ;  the  former  deeply  absorbed  in 
thought,  the  latter  blithe  and  airy,  singing 
with  the  birds,  and  tripping  and  slipping  in 
the  dissolving  snow. 

The  exuberance  of  Fanny's  delight,  how 
ever,  began  perceptibly  to  wane  as  they  were 
about  repassing  the  spot,  where,  a  few  hours 
before,  they  had  paused  to  mourn  and  lament. 


328  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Again  she  loitered  by  her  companion's  side, 
again  she  sighed,  "Poor  Fleet  Foot;"  but 
not  again  did  Little  Wolf  yield  to  her  feel 
ings.  Her  tearless  eyes  looked  straight  for 
ward,  and  she  hurried  by  the  frightful  gorge, 
where  lay  the  remains  of  her  high-mettled 
and  much  loved  pet. 

On  the  brow  of  the  hill  she  paused  in  sur 
prise,  for  again  she  saw  Wycoff  with  his  face 
turned  towards  the  brewery.  On  the  present 
occasion  he  was  mounted  upon  his  favorite 
horse  Black  Hawk,  and,  having  overtaken 
Hank  Glutter,  the  two  men  were  engaged  in 
a  conversation  which  we  will  here  transcribe. 

"  How  are  you,  Wycoff  ?  Bound  for  the 
brewery  this  fine  day  ?  " 

"  Why  no,  Mr.  Glutter,  I  have  about  made 
up  my  mind  that  you  have  got  your  share  of 
my  hard  earnings  this  year,  I  guess  111  pay 
up  my  debts  and  keep  clear  of  the  brewery, 
and  see  how  I'll  come  out  about  this  time 
next  spring." 

"Why,  I  thought  you  were  doing  well 
enough,  Wycoff,"  said  Hank,  uneasily. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  329 

"  I'm  sure  your  bill  at  the  brewery  is  not 
large,  considering." 

"  O,  I  don't  complain  of  the  charges,  Mr. 
Glutter.  As  Miss  DeWolf  says,  money  is  not 
the  only  thing  you  part  with  at  a  drinking 
saloon." 

"  O,  you're  being  nosed  about  by  Miss  De- 
Wolf,  are  J7ou,"  said  Hank  contemptuously. 

"  I  had  as  leif  be  nosed  by  a  fine  lady,  as 
by  a  saloon  keeper,"  said  Wycoff,  drawing 
himself  up  in  his  saddle. 

"  D  — « —  m  the  fine  lady,"  said  Hank  be 
tween  his  closed  teeth,  "  I'll  attend  to  her 
case." 

"  Shame  on  the  man  that  will  threaten  a 
lady,"  said  Wycoff  hotly. 

"  When  women  stoop  to  interfere  with 
men's  business,  they  must  take  the  conse 
quences,  Wycoff.  Shall  I  tell  you  what  was 
done  to  a  woman  who  went  whining  around 
trying  to  raise  a  prejudice  against  a  respecta 
ble  liquor  dealer  in  the  place  where  I  once 
lived  ?  One  dark  night  her  house  was  pret 
ty  well  pelted  with  stones  and  brickbats. 


330  LITTLE   WOLF. 

The  windows  and  doors  were  broken  in,  and 
I  do  not  know  what  the  enraged  crowd 
would  have  done  had  she  not  made  good  her 
escape." 

"  A  low  cowardly  set,  to  attack  a  defence 
less  woman,"  said  Wycoff,  "  but  I've  drank 
enough  myself  to  know  that  under  the  influ 
ence  of  liquor,  men  will  do  almighty  mean 
things.  Every  time  I've  passed  the  place 
where  Fleet  Foot  lays,  I  have  tried  to  make 
up  my  mind  to  give  up  drinking,  and  pay 
Miss  De  Wolf  for  the  horse,  like  a  man  ;  and 
tb-day  I've  come  to  the  sticking  point ;  I  have 
promised  to  give  up  liquor,  and  in  a  few  min 
utes  I  shall  present  Black  Hawk  to  Miss  De- 
Wolf." 

"  Well,  she  had  better  mind  her  own  bus 
iness  after  this,"  said  Hank  with  a  sneer. 
"  She  has  cheated  me  out  of  getting  a  first- 
rate  clerk  this  morning.  I  wiil  not  brook  her 
interference  in  my  affairs.  Let  her  beware, 
or  I'll  make  this  place  too  hot  for  her." 

Wycoff s  eyes  flashed,  and  he  extended  his 
clenched  fist  towards  Hank.  "  You  will,  will 


LITTLE   WOLF.  331 

you  ?  "  said  he  defiantly  ;  "  now  listen,  you 
•Glutter.  If  ever  you  attempt  to  harm  that 
lady,  I  swear  to  you  that  this  fist  of  miue 
shall  batter  your  brains,  and  on  Black  Hawk 
she  shall  ride  over  your  lifeless  body." 

Black  Hawk  pawed  and  snorted  and  turned 
his  firey  black  eyes  very  wickedly  upon 
Hank,  as  if  to  enforce  his  master's  threat. 
He  was  a  most  magnificent  animal;  coal 
black,  his  silken  coat,  now  curried  with  spec 
ial  care,  shone  resplendent  in  the  noon-day 
sun. 

As  Wycoff  rode  off,  Hank  muttered  to  him 
self,  "  She  shall  never  ride  that  horse." 

Half  an  hour  later,  Hank  had  the  mortifi 
cation  of  beholding  Little  Wolf  flying  past 
his  door  seated,  like  a  little  queen,  upon 
Black  Hawk's  back. 

"  She  shall  never  ride  that  horse  again," 
said  the  enraged  saloon  keeper,  with  an  oath. 

'"Wycoff  had  great  difficulty  in  pursuading 
Little  Wolf  to  except  his  present.  Indeed 
she  only  consented  when  she  became  convinc 
ed  that  he  would  be  seriously  displeased  by 


332  LITTLE   WOLF. 

her  refusal.  Further  to  gratify  the  giver,  she 
took  her  first  ride  under  his  immediate  super 
vision  ;  and,  at  his  request,  she  had  followed 
the  road  by  the.  brewery,  making  a  circle  of 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 

"  Now  that's  what  I  call  neatly  done,"  said 
Wycoff,  as  Little  Wolf  drew  up,  and  leaped 
from  the  saddle.  "  You  are  the  first  lady 
that  ever  backed  Black  Hawk,"  he  said,  pat 
ting  the  aiiimal's  neck.  "  The  fact  is,  I  had 
my  doubts  about  your  being  able  to  ride  him 
at  all.  I  was  afraid  I  would  have  to  sell  him 
and  get  a  gentler  beast,  and  I  hated  to  do 
that,  for  I  have  raised  him  from  a  colt.  As 
a  general  thing,  he  won't  allow  a  stranger  to 
come  nigh  him.  I  had  to  ride  him  myself  at 
the  races  last  September,  for  everybody  was 
afraid  of  him.  I  won  five  hundred  dollars 
on  him  though.  I  guess  I  had  better  stable 
him  now  ;  hadn't  I  ?  I'll  be  up  here  early 
to-morrow  morning  to  see  how  Daddy  gets 
along  with  him.  I  reckon  the  old  man  won't 
dare  to  go  nigh  him  till  he  gets  used  to  him." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A  CHAPTER  OF  ACCIDENTS  AND   DELIVER 
ANCES- 

I ITTLE    Wolf    was  glad  to  see  Black 


IL 

k  Hawk  led  away,  for  she  was  now  thor- 
<€ 

y^jjj^  oughly  weary.     The  events  of  the  last 

twenty-four  hours  had  worn  upon  her ;  and 
the  cozy  fire  and  warm  dinner,  which  await 
ed  her  within,  were  duly  appreciated. 

An  hour  later,  nestled  upon  the  parlor  so 
fa  she  was  hurried  in  profound  slumber. 
Fanny  moved  softly  about  the  room,  tiptoe 
ing  occasionally  to  the  window  to  watch  for 
Daddy. 


334  LITTLE   WOLF. 

Towards  night  he  was  brought  home  on 
a  stretcher,  comfortably  arranged  in  a  large 
sleigh,  Dr.  Goodrich  accompanying  him. 
The  first  intimation  that  Little  Wolf  had  of 
their  arrival  was  a  loud  ring  at  the  door, 
which  suddenly  roused  her  from  dreams,  in 
which  she  was  living  over  again  the  happi 
est  moments  of  her  life. 

It  was  some  little  time  before  she  could 
collect  her  scattered  thoughts ;  but  Daddy's 
roarings  and  vociferations  at  length  brought 
her  to  a  realizing  sense  of  her  responsibilities. 

Although  assured  by  his  physician  that  his 
hurts  would  in  a  few  weeks  at  furthest  all  be 
healed,  the  old  man  was  not  content.  He 
had  a  lurking  infidelity  in  regard  to  the  opin 
ions  of  the  medical  profession  generally,  and, 
as  soon  as  Dr.  Goodrich  had  departed,  he 
confided  to  Little  Wolf  his  fears. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  Honey,"  said  he, 
"  them  ere  doctors  hev  been  kriowd  to  tell  a 
pussen  that  he  was  a  goin  fur  tu  git  well,  and 
just  as  that  pussen  had  made  all  his  calcula 
tions  fur  tu  live,  (and  may  be  git  married), 


LITTLE  WOLF.  335 

the  fust  thing  he  knew,  he  would  be  a  dead 
man.  Now  'tween  you  and  me,  its  my  opin 
ion,  I  shan't  live  twenty-four  hours,  fur  I  feel 
awful  gone  like." 

"  O,  its  the  opiate  that  makes  you  feel  so, 
Daddy.  I  shall  nurse  you  up  and  you'll  get 
well  and  marry,  what's  her  name  ?  " 

"  Recta,"  said  Daddy  brightening.  "  Rec 
ta,  Miss  Orrecta  Lippincott.  May  be,  Hon 
ey,  with  good  nussing  I  shall  make  out  fur  tu 
stand  it.  'Tween  you  and  me,  there's  nuth- 
in  like  good  nussin,  after  the  bones  is  all  set 
proper." 

His  wise  young  nurse  did  not  think  it 
worth  while  to  remind  the  invalid  that  not 
one  of  his  bones  had  been  broken  ,  but  she 
assiduously  set  herself  to  work  to  meet  his 
accumulating  wants.  With  liniments  and 
bandages,  and  cooling  drinks,  and  consoling 
words,  she  stood  patiently  over  him,  until 
near  the  midnight  hour,  he  fell  asleep. 

Shading  the  lamp,  so  that  scarcely  a  ray  of 
light  was  visible,  Little  Wolf  curled  in  be 
hind  the  window  curtain,  where  she  could 


836  LITTLE  WOLF. 

peep  through  the  crevices  of  the  blinds  out 
on  the  distant  stars  and  ever  shifting  clouds, 
which  in  the  solitude  of  the  night,  speak  so 
eloquently  to  the  human  heart. 

Calm  and  cold  was  the  still  hour.  The 
warm,  thawing  winds  had  ceased  to  blow,  the 
eaves  had  ceased  their  droppings  and  were 
beautifully  fringed  with  icicles.  The  snow 
had  become  crusted  over,  but  so  slightly,  in 
deed,  that  the  lightest  footfall  would  crush 
the  treacherous  coating,  and  the  cracking  of 
the  icy  fragments  betray  the  presence  of 
prowlers. 

By  such  sounds  as  we  have  described, 
Little  Wolf's  meditations  were  at  length  dis 
turbed.  Indistinctly  at  first,  but  soon  with 
unmistakable  clearness,  she  recognized  ap 
proaching  footsteps. 

Daddy's  room  overlooked  the  stable,  and 
in  that  quarter,  a  human  figure  was  just  vis 
ible.  Slowly  and  stealthily  it  drew  near ; 
and  now  with  dilated  eyes  and  quickly  beat 
ing  heart,  the  watcher  peered  eagerly  into 
the  darkness.  Nearer,  and  still  nearer  the 


LITTLE  WOLF.  337 

form  approached,  until  close  against  the 
house,  just  where  she  could  conveniently  note 
every  motion,  it  paused.  A  moment  of  sus 
pense,  and  a  small  flame  shot  up  revealing 
Hank  Glutter  in  the  act  of  firing  the  house. 

Quick  as  thought  Little  Wolf  sprang  for 
her  pistol,  which  to  gratify  Daddy  she  had 
stored  in  his  room  ;  and  hiding  it  in  the  folds 
of  her  dress  she  flew  to  meet  the  incendiary. 

During  the  few  seconds  consumed  in  reach 
ing  the  spot,  Hank  had  disappeared,  and  hav 
ing  strong  suspicions  that  he  meditated  mis 
chief  to  Black  Hawk,  Little  Wolf  scattered 
the  pile  of  slowly  burning  faggots,  (the  fire 
not  having  yet  communicated  itself  to  the 
building),  and  made  a  dash  for  the  stable. 

Hank  was  there  just  in  the  act  of  lighting 
a  match.  He  had  completely  surrounded 
Black  Hawk  with  hay  and  straw,  and,  in  an 
instant  more,  the  helpless  animal  would  have 
been  enveloped  in  flames. 

"  Mr.  Glutter,  the  brewery  is  on  fire ! " 
shouted  Little  Wolf  breathlessly. 

The  match  fell  from  Hank's  nerveless  hand, 


338  LITTLE  WOLF. 

for  he  saw  through  the  wide  open  door  that 
the  announcement  was  but  too  true.  To 
spring  past  Little  Wolf  and  rush  to  secure 
his  property,  was  his  first  thought. 

But  he  was  too  late.  Neither  he,  nor  all 
the  crowd  that  quickly  gathered  there,  could 
stay  the  consuming  element.  The  old  brew 
ery  burned  to  the  ground,  and,  for  miles 
around  the  country  was  illuminated  by  what 
to  many  a  poor  broken-hearted  woman,  was 
a  grand  and  festive  bonfire. 

Among  the  first  who  discovered  the  con 
flagration  was  Wycoff,  and  he  was  much  re 
lieved,  on  ascertaining  the  precise  location  of 
the  fire  ;  for  he  had  started  out  filled  with  ap 
prehensions  for  Little  Wolf.  To  his  great 
satisfaction,  the  old  brown  house  stood  out  in 
full  relief,  unharmed. 

A  critical  survey  of  the  premises,  however, 
discovered  to  him  the  stable  door  standing 
open,  and,  by  the  brilliant  blaze,  he  could 
distinctly  see  Black  Hawk,  pawing  and  floun 
dering  in  the  midst  of  the  hay  which  Hank 
had  arranged  for  his  funeral  pile. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  339 

Quite  as  distinctly  from  the  upper  window 
could  Little  Wolf  see  the  former,  and  she 
hastened  to  make  him  acquainted  with  her 
narrow  escape  and  claim  his  protection. 

While  he  listened,  the  man's  worst  pas 
sions  were  aroused.  There  was  murder  in 
his  heart,  and,  but  for  the  entreaties  of  Lit 
tle  Wolf,  another  day  would  never  have 
dawned  upon  Hank  Glutter. 

As  for  Hank ;  having  the  bitter  conscious 
ness  that  he  had  brought  the  calamity  upon 
himself,  he  raved  and  swore  like  a  mad  man. 
To  all  questions  as  to  the  cause  of  the  fire  he 
had  but  one  answer,  "I  suppose  I  must  have 
left  the  confounded  lamp  too  near  the  bed." 
This  admission  was  invariably  followed  by 
oaths  and  curses,  as  he  passed  up  and  down 
before  the  burning  building. 

How  different  were  Daddy's  emotions  !  It 
was  amusing  to  behold  him  bolstered  up  in 
bed,  exultant  to  the  highest  degree.  His  old 
wrinkled  face  fairly  shone  with  delight,  and 
he  frequently  ejaculated  as  he  watched  the 
progress  of  the  flames,  "  Thank  the  Lord  God 
Almighty,  for  that  dispensation ! " 


340  LITTLE  WOLF. 

As  the  light  began  to  die  away,  he  turned 
to  Little  Wolf  and  whispered  confidentially. 
"  'Tween  you  and  me,  Honey,  if  I  should 
happen  fur  tu  hev  any  children,  Recta  wont 
feel  any  consarn  about  the  boys  gittiu  to 
drinking,  now  that  ere  old  brewery  is  out  of 
the  way.  Some  folks  say  if  a  man  is  tu  be  a 
drunkard,  he'll  be  one  any  how ;  but  if  there's 
no  liquor,  I'd  like  fur  to  know  how  he  is  go 
ing  fur  tu  git  it  ?  I  guess  nobody  ever  got 
burnt  that  never  see  a  fire." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

ANOTHER    SALOON    SCENE  —  THE    BRIDAL 
TROUSSEAU  —  THE  LOVELY  NURSE. 

iS  Hank  Glu tier's  was  unfortunately  not 
the  only  saloon  in  the  world,  we  will 
now  open  the  scene  on  another  place 
of  the  same  sort,  not  many  miles  away  from 
the  smoking  ruins ;  a  place,  where,  for  vari 
ous  reasons,  men  did  congregate;  some  to 
gratify  a  vitiated  appetite,  others  simply  to 
indulge  in  a  social  glass,  and  still  others  be-  * 
cause  they  had  no  where  else  to  go  ;  some  be 
cause  they  were  glad,  and  some  because  the/ 


LITTLE  WOLF. 

were  sad ;  each  and  all  forgetting  the  words 
of  the  wise  man,  "  Look  not  upon  the  wine." 

The  door  had  just  opened  to  admit  a  small 
party  of  young  men.  Among  the  number  is 
Edward  Sherman.  There  he  stands,  a  little 
apart  from  the  rest,  just  under  the  chande 
lier.  Directly  opposite,  the  shelves  glitter  in 
Bohemian  and  cut  glass,  and  all  the  attrac 
tive  features  of  the  bar.  Mark  his  proud  and 
lofty  bearing,  as  he  steps  forward  and  lifts 
the  goblet  to  his  lips. 

Again,  and  yet  again,  the  cup  goes  round, 
until  no  longer  he  stands  firmly  among  his 
companions.  See  him  now,  reeling,  tottering, 
staggering,  as  he  is  borne  away  for  the  first 
time  in  his  life,  helplessly  intoxicated,  borne 
to  his  loving  mother,  whose  grey  hairs  blanch 
ed  whiter  in  that  night  of  sorrow. 

In  a  desperate  mood  young  Sherman  had 
permitted  himself  to  be  thus  overcome,  and, 
when  the  effects  of  the  stimulant  had  worn 
off,  he  strove  by  the  most  affectionate  atten 
tions  to  make  amends  for  the  pain  he  had  oc 
casioned  his  mother. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  343 

He  even  went  so  far  as  to  bend  his  proud 
spirit  to  offer  something  like  an  apology. 

"  Mother,"  said  he,  as  he  placed  his  morn 
ing  kiss  upon  her  care  worn  face,  before  go 
ing  to  his  office,  "  do  not  worry ;  I  shall  not 
again  forget  myself.  It  was  foolish,  I  know, 
but  I  cared  not  at  the  time  what  became  of 
me.  Now  don't  worry.  There  is  no  danger 
of  me."' 

Mrs.  Sherman  sighed  as  the  door  closed  on 
her  darling.  •'  So  like  his  father,"  she  mur 
mured. 

Could  she  have  seen  him  an  hour  later,  the 
resemblance  to  his  father  might  have  struck 
her  still  more  forcibly,  for  the  social  glass  was 
again  at  his  lips. 

Fortunately  for  the  dear  old  lady,  there 
were  other  claims  upon  her  attention,  and, 
from  a  sense  of  duty,  she  strove  very  hard  to 
bury  her  anxiety  for  her  son  in  the  folds  of 
silk  and  laces  which  were  to  constitute  the 
wedding  paraphernalia  of  her  daughter. 

Lacking  independence  of  thought,  that 
young  lady  relied  almost  entirely  upon  the 


344  LITTLE  WOLF. 

opinion  of  others,  and  the  consequence  was 
that  not  a  ribbon,  or  a  flower  met  her  approv 
al  until  she  had  first  consulted  half  a  dozen 
young  friends,  who,  being  apt  to  differ,  kept 
her  mind  in  a  perpetual  tumult. 

The  mooted  question  on  the  morning  be 
fore  mentioned,  was  the  exact  length  requir 
ed  for  the  bridal  veil,  Her  confidents  all 
differed  in  opinion,  and,  in  despair,  she  ap 
pealed  to  her  mothor.  "  Mamma,  Isabel 
thinks  the  veil  is  two  inches  too  long,  and 
Clara  says  it  is  only  half  an  inch,  and  Caro 
line  says  it  is  just  right.  Now  what  do  }rou 
think?" 

"  Why,  it  seems  to  be  entirely  a  matter  of 
taste,  my  dear  ;  perhaps  you  had  better  put 
it  on  and  ask  the  doctor's  advice." 

"  0,  mamma,  the  doctor  knows  nothing  at 
all  about  the  fashions,  and  if  he  did,  he  would 
not  follow  them  I  know,"  said  she  rather  pet- 
ishly.  "  He  won't  do  anything  anybody  else 
does." 

"  Why,  Louise!  "  said  her  mother  in  sur 
prise. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  345 

"  I  can't  help  it,  mamma ;  Ned  and  I  had 
set  our  hearts  upon  having  wine  at  the  wed 
ding,  for  it  is  quite  fashionable  now,  and  we 
were  very  sure  that  we  could  coax  you  to  let 
us,  and  when  I  confided  in  the  doctor,  and 
asked  him  to  use  his  influence  in  our  favor, 
he  daclared  flatly  that  he  would  never  give 
his  consent,  if  it  was  ever  so  fashionable.  I 
declare,  it  made  me  almost  wish  I  was  going 
to  marry  Charley  Horton.  You  know  he  and 
Isabel  Merton  are  engaged,  and  the  other  day 
when  we  were  all  together,  Isabel  told  me 
that  she  had  never  asked  but  one  favor  of 
Charley  which  he  was  not  willing  to  grant, 
and  that  was,  that  he  would  promise  not  to 
use  wine  in  his  family  nor  offer  it  to  his 
friends.  She  said  she  felt  uncomfortable 
whenever  she  thought  of  the  matter,  but  she 
hoped  to  be  able  to  influence  him  to  give  it 
up  after  they  were  married.  Caroline  Wyn- 
dam  was  there,  and  she  said  she  would  not 
dare  to  say  a  word  to  her  lover  on  the  subject, 
although  she  would  give  the  world  to  have 
him  leave  off  social  drinking.  But  Clara- 


346  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Hastings  and  the  other  girls  said  they  did  not 
think  a  little  wine  or  beer  would  hurt  any 
body,  and  they  would  not  give  a  fig  for  a  man 
that  could  not  control  his  appetite.  Clara 
Hastings  said  if  she  ever  got  married,  she 
would  have  wine  at  the  wedding.  When  I 
told  Ned  about  it  he  said  Clara  was  the  girl 
for  him.  I  wonder  what  Miss  DeWolf  would 
say  to  that. 

Mrs.  Sherman  tried  to  choke  down  her  feel 
ings,  but  the  bitter,  burning  tears  would  come 
and  one  by  one  they  coursed  down  her  with 
ered  cheek. 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
Louise  would  have  left  the  room,  but  her 
mother  gently  detained  her.  "  Edward  wish 
ed  me  to  say  to  you  that  his  intimacy  with 
Miss  DeWolf  was  broken  off,  and  he  further 
requested  that  you  would  never  mention  the 
subject  to  him." 

Great  consternation  was  depicted  on 
Louise's  countenance.  Oh  !  it  is  too  bad," 
she  exclaimed ;  "  and  just  as  she  had  prom 
ised  to  show  me  how  that  beautiful  trimming 


LITTLE  WOLF.  347 

was  made  which  Miss  Marsdon  sent  her  from 
New  York.  I  wonder  what  it  means.  Do 
you  know,  mamma  ?  " 

"  Why  yes,  my  dear ;  it  means  that  Miss 
DeWolf  is  possessed  of  a  sensible,  well-bal 
anced  mind,  and  that  your  brother  has  acted 
very  foolishly." 

Just  at  that  moment  the  conversation  was 
interrupted  by  the  appearance  of  one  of 
Louise's  friends  and  advisers,  and  the  two 
girls  were  soon  absorbed  in  discussing  the 
merits  of  some  article  of  dress  belonging  to 
the  trousseau. 

Thus  the  hours  slipped  away,  until  about 
one  o'clock,  Edward  came  for  dinner.  He 
knew  as  soon  as  his  eye  rested  upon  his  de 
monstrative  sister  that  she  had  been  made 
acquainted  with  his  disappointment,  and,  as 
he  naturally  shrank  from  receiving  sympathy, 
either  by  word  or  look,  he  exerted  himself 
to  appear  much  more  cheerful  than  he  really 
felt. 

Louise  inwardly  resolved  that  she  would  be' 
very  watchful,  and  not  cloud  her  brother's 


348  LITTLE   WOLF. 

spirits  by  any  allusion  whatever  to  Chimney 
Rock,  and  the  next  moment  she  suddenly  re 
membered  having  seen  at  the  midnight  hour 
a  very  bright  light  from  her  chamber  window 
in  that  direction.  Without  second  thought, 
she  related  the  circumstance,  and  caught  her 
self  making  the  inquiry,  "  Did  you  see  it, 
Ned?" 

Edward's  face  flushed  scarlet,  as  he  an 
swered  evasively,  "  O,  that  was  the  brewery 
on  fire.  I  met  Mr.  Glutter  in  the  city  this 
morning.  He  came  to  make  arrangements  to 
open  another  saloon  here.  I  never  saw  a 
man  of  more  indomitable  will  and  persever 
ance.  Although  he  lost  an  immense  amount 
he  is  not  in  the  least  disheartened." 

"  Brave  fellow,"  said  Louise,  cordially  em 
bracing  her  brother's  estimate  of  the  man's 
character.  "  I  wonder  what  occasioned  the 
fire." 

u  Why,  he  placed  the  lamp  too  near  his 
bed,  while  he  went  out  to  learn  if  there  was 
any  trouble  at  Miss  DeWolf  s.  It  seems  that 
he  had  always  had  a  friendly  care  for  her, 


LITTLE  WOLF.  34  3 

and,  hearing  noises  in  that  direction,  he  was 
so  kind  as  to  run  over.  Finding  it  all  quiet 
about  the  house,  he  followed  the  sounds  to 
the  stable,  and  discovered  that  it  was  only  a 
horse,  which  Mr.  Wycoff  had,  a  few  hours  be 
fore  presented  to  Miss  DeWolf,  that  had  oc 
casioned  the  disturbance.  The  horse  had 
broken  loose,  and  just  as  Mr.  Glutter  was 
fastening  him  in  the  stall,  he  saw  the  flames 
bursting  from  the  saloon  ;  and  so  his  benevo 
lent  trip  cost  him  his  brewery." 

While  Louise  was  listening  with  interest  to 
the  recital,  Mrs.  Sherman  and  Dr.  Goodrich 
entered  the  room.  The  latter  was  evidently 
disgusted  with  the  expression,  "  poor  fellow," 
that  fell  once  or  twice  from  the  lips  of  the 
young  lady,  and  his  annoyance  reached  the 
climax  when,  a  moment's  pause,  she  ventur 
ed  to  assert  with  one  eye  on  her  brother,  that 
"  the  poor  fellow "  would  never  get  any 
thanks,  "  for,"  said  she,  "  Miss  DeWolf  de 
tests  him,  I  know  she  does." 

There  was  a  short,  awkward  silence,  which 
Mrs.  Sherman  broke,  by  saying,  deprecating- 


350  LITTLE  WOLF. 

ly  she  was  sure  she  could  not  blame  Miss  De- 
Wolf  for  feeling  bitterly  towards  the  saloon 
keeper. 

"  Blame  her ! "  exclaimed  Dr.  Goodrich, 
who  could  no  longer  keep  silence.  "  Blame 
Miss  DeWolf!  I  would  as  soon  think  of 
blaming  an  angel  in  heaven.  What  has  she 
to  thank  Hank  Glutter  for,  I  should  like  to 
know  ?  He  whose  hands  are  red  in  the  blood 
of  her  father.  He  who  has  made  orphans 
and  widows  at  her  very  door.  He  who  has 
more  than  once  endangered  her  very  life  by 
selling  those  cursed  drinks  which  so  infuriate 
men.  He  who  would,  I  doubt  not,  take  her 
life  this  day,  if  by  so  doing  he  could  escape 
punishment,  and  add  another  penny  to  his 
cursed  store." 

"  With  your  sentiments  you  are  hardly 
prepared  to  do  the  man  justice,"  said  Edward 
forestalling  a  reply  upon  his  sister's  pouting 
lips. 

"  Had  a  man  by  his  nefarious  business, 
blasted  every  hope  in  my  Louise's  life  save 


LITTLE  WOLF.  351 

one,  and  were  I  that  one,  think  you  I  could 
speak  favorably  of  the  wretch  ?  No."  said 
the  doctor,  impetuously. 

Louise,  partially  restored  to  good  hnmor, 
had  managed  to  slip  behind  her  brother, 
where  she  stood  making  all  sorts  of  admonito 
ry  gestures  to  her  lover,  who  had  not  as  yet, 
been  let  into  the  secret  of  the  change  in  his 
friends's  relation  to  Little  Wolf. 

But  the  doctor  could  not;  or  would  not 
take  Louise's  hints,  and  he  went  on  hotly. 
"  Curse  the  business  !  I  say.  Curse  the  man, 
who,  with  his  eyes  open  to  the  consequences, 
engages  in  it.  The. law  could,  and  should, 
make  him  responsible.  Hank  Glutter  is  the 
man  who  ought  to  have  been  compelled  to 
indemnify  Miss  DeWolf  for  the  losses  she  sus 
tained  on  that  dreadful  day  when  Wycoff 
came  so  near  dashing  her  over  the  precipice. 
It  was  he  who  tempted  the  man  to  drink,  un 
til  he  became  drunk,  and  did  the  mischief, 
to  repair  which  he  sacrificed  his  favorite 
horse.  Thank  God  it  was  by  Hank's  own 
confession,  the  animal's  noise  that  brought 


352  LITTLE  WOLF. 

about  the  burning  of  the  brewery.  It  is  some 
comfort  that  God  now  and  then  legislates  on 
the  traffic,  when  men  will  not." 

The  doctor  paused,  and,  as  no  one  seemed 
inclined  to  make  any  comments,  he  began  to 
speak  more  calmly,  and  on  a  subject  which 
he  flattered  himself  would  be  more  agreeable. 

"  I  have  just  been  down  to  bind  up  Dad 
dy's  bruises,"  he  said,  "  but  his  lovely  nurse 
had  done  all  that  was  necessary.  Then  turn 
ing  to  Edward  with  a  meaning  smile,  "  Ned, 
she  is  a  right  regal  nurse.  I  almost  wished 
myself  in  Daddy's  place  this  morning.  It 
must  be  very  consoling  in  hours  of  pain  to 
have  a  little  angel  smoothing  your  pillow, 
and  hovering  over  you  with  sweet  words  and 
gentle  touches." 

The  doctor  suddenly  stopped  short.  There 
was  an  expression  of  sharp  agony  on  Ed 
ward's  face  that  could  not  be  mistaken. 
Louise  had  never  looked  on  him  so  before. 
Added  to  her  sympathy  for  her  brother,  was 
an  indefinable  pang  occasioned  by  her  lover's 
warm  praises  of  another.  Mrs.  Sherman, 


LTTTLE  WOLF. 


353 


the  picture  of  distress,  looked  helplessly  from 
one  to  the  othex. 

The  dinner  bell  was  at  that  moment  a  wel 
come  sound. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


THREATS 
HAWK 

TEE. 


-  LITTLE     WOI.F     AND     BLACK 
TBAGIC  DEATH  OF  HANK  GLUT- 


IS  business  arrangements  satisfactorily 
completed,  towards  night,  Hank  Glut- 
ter  was  seen  setting  out  for  Chimney 
Rock. 

To  say  the  truth,  he  appeared  secretly  un 
easy,  glancing  furtively  behind  at  every 
sound  as  he  hurried  forward  like  one  pursued. 
By,  and  by,  out  on  the  solitary  highway  he 
walked  on  with  more  confidence,  and  finally, 


LITTLE  WOLF.  355 

after  assuring  himself  that  he  was  quite  alone, 
began  to  let  fall  some  very  energetic  expres 
sions  in  which  were  mingled  the  names  of 
Miss  DeWolf,  of  Black  Hawk  and  of  Wycoff. 

"  She  shall  never  ride  Black  Hawk  again," 
he  muttered,  "Miss  DeWolf  can't  circum 
vent  me.  If  she  has  dared  to  betray  me,  she 
will  never  tell  the  story  again.  I  guess  my 
word  is  as  good  as  hers — I  defy  Wycoff." 
Then  followed  such  expletives  as  the  speaker 
deemed  suitable  to  the  occasion :  but  which 
were  suddenly  interrupted  by  the  appearance 
of  Mr.  Wycoff  mounted  upon  Black  Hawk 
and  apparently  in  good  humor  with  himself 
and  all  the  world. 

He  evidently  did  not  wish  to  remember  the 
unpleasant  scene  of  the  previous  day,  for  he 
partly  halted  as  he  came  up  to  Hank,  and 
said  pleasantly,  "What  luck  to-day,  Mr. 
Glutter?" 

Hank  seeing  in  him  a  future  victim  to  his 
wiles,  spread  his  net  right  warily :  "  Well, 
Wycoff,"  he  replied,"  "  I  have  had  the  good 
luck  to  secure  the  most  desirable  corner  in 


356  LITTLE  WOLF. 

the  city  for  my  business,  and  I  intend  to  keep 
on  hand  first  class  liquors,  just  such  as  you 
like  best ;  and  I  consider  you  a  judge  of  the 
article." 

"  How  unfortunate  that  I  have  given  up 
drinking,"  said  Wycoff  with  great  gravity. 

The  corners  of  Hank's  mouth  drew  down  a 
little,  but  he  replied  hi  the  most  persuasive 
manner,  "  0  well,  its  never  best  to  drink  to 
excess,  but  I  hope  to  have  the  pleasure,  Mr. 
Wycoff,  of  treating  you  to  many  a  harmless 
glass." 

"  I  must  be  going  back,"  said  Wycoff, 
abruptly  wheeling  round,  "  I  just  rode  out  a 
little  way  to  get  some  of  the  spirit  out  of  the 
horse  before  Miss  DeWolf  takes  her  evening 
ride." 

Hank  shook  his  fist  after  him,  "  I'll  take 
the  spirit  out  of  the  horse,  and  out  of  the  girl 
too,"  he  threatened.  "  Lucky  she  hasn't  told 
Wycoff,  I  can  tell  my  own  story  all  the  bet 
ter." 

Hank  had  just  entered  the  "  pass  "  when  he 
again  caught  a  view  of  Black  Hawk  in  the 


LITTLE  WOLF.  357 

distance  ;  but  this  time  Little  Wolf  was  the 
rider.  He  drew  his  breath  hard,  and  in  an 
instant  his  hand  was  upon  his  dirk.  "  Now 
is  my  time,"  came  from  between  his  closed 
teeth  and  he  threw  himself  behind  the  trunk 
of  a  tree,  and  in  the  twilight  not  a  shadow  of 
him  was  visible. 

On  came  Little  Wolf,  sitting  her  splendid 
steed  right  regally.  Her  proud,  fearless  little 
face  was  slightly  shaded  by  the  waving 
plumes  in  her  velvet  cap,  and  her  long  black 
robes  floated  on  the  evening  breeze. 

By  constant  petting  from  the  hour  that  he 
became  hers,  Black  Hawk  had  been  won,  and 
the  intractable,  fiery  creature,  who  had  hith 
erto  spurned  all  control  but  WycofFs,  readily 
yielded  to  Little  Wolfs  guiding  hand.  The 
sagacious  creature  had  exhibited  no  "little 
pride  in  bearing  off  his  precious  burden  un 
der  the  eye  of  his  old  master.  His  new  mis 
tress  glorying  in  her  power  over  him  bade 
him  forward  and  without  a  suspicion  of  dan 
ger,  entered  the  fatal  pass- 

In  a  moment  they  were  opposite  Hank's 


358  LITTLE  WOLF. 

hiding  place,  who  concentrating  all  his  ener 
gies,  made  a  cat-like  spring  and  caught  at 
Black  Hawk's  bridle. 

To  sheer  off,  rear  high  in  the  air,  and  plant 
his  fore  foot  right  into  the  would-be-murder 
er's  brain,  was  a  feat  performed  without  a 
sign  from  Little  Wolf,  who  sat  like  one  para 
lyzed,  while  Black  Hawk  in  a  fury  trampled 
their  assailant  under  his  feet.  She  saw 
Hank's  ghastly  face  and  flaxen  ringlets  go 
down,  and  she  saw  his  life  blood  spurting  far 
over  the  pure  white  snow,  and  the  next  in 
stant  she  was  borne  swiftly  away  from  the 
terrible  scene. 

For  some  little  time  Black  Hawk  had  it  all 
his  own  way,  and  they  were  far  out  on  the 
main  traveled  road  to  Pendleton  before  Lit 
tle  Wolf  made  an  effort  to  check  his  speed. 
But  suddenly  she  drew  the  rein  with  no  gen 
tle  hand. 

They  had  overtaken  a  lady  and  gentleman, 
who  were  riding  leisurely,  evidently  quite 
absorbed  in  each  other's  society.  One  quick, 
searching  glance  revealed  the  parties  to  Lit- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  359 

tie  Wolf;  and  she  curled  her  lip  in  scorn,  as 
she  saw  those  attentions  which  Edward  had 
so  lately  lavished  upon  herself,  now  given  to 
Clara  Hastings. 

Well  might  Edward  start  and  strain  his 
eyes  after  the  retreating  figure  to  which  the 
loud  clatter  of  hoofs  had  called  his  attention, 
for  fleeing  fast  away  was  one  in  whose  true 
heart,  he  had  planted  still  another  arrow, 
which  would  there  rankle  long,  spite  of  the 
vow  of  eternal  forgetfulness  even  then  upon 
her  proud  lips. 

In  order  to  avoid  "  The  Pass,"  and  its  hor 
rors,  Little  Wolf  took  a  circuitous  route 
home.  She  emerged  from  the  wild,  unbrok 
en  path  through  the  forest  just  as  Wycoff 
was  begining  to  feel  seriously  uneasy  at  her 
prolonged  absence. 

He  eagerly  caught  at  the  bridle,  "  I  was 
afraid  Black  Hawk  had  been  playing  pranks," 
he  said,  patting  the  animal's  neck :  "  Why, 
here's  blood  upon  the  beast ;  I  guess  he's  got 
rubbed  agin  a  tree.  It  wan't  exactly  safe  to 
come  that  way,  anyhow,  but  girls  will  be 


360  LITTLE  WOLF. 

girls,  there's  a  natural  tendancy  in  'era  to  go 
into  crooked  ways,"  and  Wycoff  laughed,  as 
he  thought  that  he  had  perpetrated  a  good 
joke,  and  looked  at  Little  Wolf  as  if  he  ex 
pected  her  too  appreciate  it. 

"  It  is  Mr.  Glutter's  blood,"  gasped  Little 
Wolf,  "  he  attempted  to  stop  us  in  the  Pass, 
and  Black  Hawk  trampled  upon  him." 

"  Oh !  that's  it,  eh  ?  "  said  Wycoff.  "  A 
knowing  critter,  that.  He's  got  the  instincts 
of  a  woman,  and  I  ain't  sure  but  he  knows 
as  much  as  a  man.  Well,  I  hope  Hank  is 
dead,  anyhow." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  so,  Mr.  Wycoff,"  said  Lit 
tle  Wolf,  every  particle  of  color  forsaking  her 
face. 

"  Well,  now  if  I  ain't  beat,"  said  the  rough 
man,  "  I  thought  you  would  be  tickled  to 
dance  on  Hank's  grave." 

Little  Wolf  turned  silently  away  and  went 
into  the  house. 

"Well,  well,"  and  Wycoff  bent  a  look  of 
inquiry  upon  Sorrel  Top,  who  had  been  out 
sharing  his  solicitude  for  her  mistress. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  361 

"  I  guess  she  feels  kinder  horrible  like, 
about  seeing  him  rnashecl,"  was  Sorrel  Top's 
explanatory  reply. 

"  Well,  I'll  jest  go  round  and  see  what  his 
condition  is,  anyhow." 

While  Wycoff  was  on  his  mission  and  Lit 
tle  Wolf  shut  up  in  her  room,  Sorrel  Top 
hastened  to  communicate  the  news  to  Dad- 

dy. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me  I'm  glad  on't,"  said 
Daddy,  exultingiy.  I  hope  he's  dead." 

"  Well,  now,  that's  heathenish,  Daddy,  to 
wish  a  feller  critter  dead." 

"  He  wan't  no  feller  critter,"  said  Daddy, 
indignantly,  "  he  was  nothin'  but  a  liquor- 
seller  :  the  wust  kind  tu,  fur  he  knowed  just 
what  mischief  he  wus  a  doing  to  the  human 
race.  Yes,  and  to  the  brute  race  tu,  fur  I've 
seen  men  whallop  their  hosses  nigh  about  tu 
death  when  they  was  in  liquor." 

"  I've  seen  'em  wallop  'em  when  they  want 
in  liquor,"  said  Sorrel  Top,  determined  as 
usual  to  combat  Daddy  at  all  hazards. 


362  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  sich  men  ain't  fel 
ler  critters,  nuther,  I  reckon  they'll  live  next 
door  to  liquor  sellers,  by  and  by,"  said  Dad 
dy,  with  self  righteous-assurance. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  where  you  expect  to  go 
when  you  die  ?  "  said  Sorrel  Top,  with  a  toss 
of  the  head." 

"Why,  I'll  go  tu  that  ere  place  where 
folks  go  that  du  the  best  they  know." 

"  Well,  you're  lucky  if  you  can  say  you 
have  always  done  the  best  you  could,"  said 
the  other  in  a  tone  which  clearly  indicated  a 
doubt  of  Daddy's  entire  veracity. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  I've  been  thinking 
that  I  might  hev  been  more  active  in  the 
temperance  cause.  I  guess  afore  long  I'll  git 
up  a  temperance  lectur  and  go  round  deliver- 
in'  of  it." 

"  O,  pshaw,  you  wouldn't  git  no  ordiance. 
Would  he  Fanny  ?  "  said  Sorrel  Top,  appeal 
ing  to  Fanny  Green,  who  had  been  a  silent 
but  not  uninterested  listener  to  the  conversa 
tion. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  363 

"I  guess  he  would,"  said  Fanny,  hopefully, 
"  I  would  attend." 

"  Of  course  you  would,"  said  Daddy,  ex 
citedly,  "  and  the  Honey  would  too." 

"  Well,  you  couldn't  tell  me  nothing  more 
than  I  know  on  that  pint,"  said  Sorrel  Top, 
flinging  herself  out  of  the  room  with  an  air 
of  unqualified  contempt. 

Left  alone  with  Daddy,  Fanny  ventured  to 
say  softly,  "  Daddy  have  you  ever  prayed 
about  it?" 

"  About  what,  Fanny?  " 

"  Why,  about  people's  drinking  and  selling 
liquor  and  those  things  that  you  talk  about  ?  " 

"  Pray  about  it  ?  why  no.  What  should  I 
pray  about  it  fur  ?  I  never  pray  about  noth- 
ing." 

Fanny  looked  shocked.  "  Don't  you  know 
the  Bible  tells  us  to  pray,  Daddy  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  spose  it  does,"  Daddy  admitted, 
"  but  somehow  I  hev  never  said  my  prayers, 
since  I  was  a  little  shaver ;  I  reckon  it  don't 
do  no  good  fur  tu  pray,  no  how.  My  relig 
ion  is  tu  do  the  best  I  ken." 


364  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  But,  Daddy,  if  God  tells  you  to  ask  for 
what  you  want,  and  you  don't  do  it,  is  that 
doing  the  best  you  can  ?  " 

"  I  ruther  guess  you've  got  the  best  of  old 
Daddy,  this  ere  time,"  said  the  old  man, 
stroking  the  child's  sunny  locks.  "  'Tween 
you  and  me,  Fanny,  I  don't  know  nothin'  at 
all  about  the  Bible.  My  father  and  mother 
died  afore  I  was  old  enough  fur  tu  read,  and 
I  was  bound  tu  a  man  that  didn't  gin  me  a 
big  cdication,  I  never  seen  a  Bible  in  his 
house," 

"  Then  you  don't  know  about  Jesus 
Christ?  "  said  Fanny,  quite  pitifully 

"  Laws  yes,  I've  heern  ministers  preach  a 
leetle  about  him  once  in  a  while  when  I  went 
to  church  fur  tu  go  hum  with  Recta ;  but, 
somehow,  I  want  much  took  up  with  him." 

"  O,  but  Daddy,  you  would  have  been  if 
you  had  understood  that  he  was  the  best 
friend  you  ever  had.  My  mamma  used  to 
tell  me  how  he  came  to  die  for  us,  and  how 
we  could  not  get  to  Heaven  without  him.  I 
will  tell  you  all  about  it,  Daddy,  shall  I  ?  I 


LITTLE  WOLF.  365 

told  Miss  DeWolf,  yesterday,  and  she  looked 
real  glad." 

"  Laws,  Fanny,  the  Honey  is  high  edicated 
and  knows  a  heap  more  than  we  do." 

"  0,  yes,  of  course,  Daddy,  but  then  she 
had  never  heard  it  just  as  majnnia  used  to 
tell  it ;  for  you  know  mamma  talked  just  as 
if  she  had  lived  in  the  same  house  with  Him, 
and  He  had  told  her  Himself  all  about  the 
beautiful  place  for  all  those  that  He  can  take 
there." 

"  Well,  He  may  take  me,"  said  Daddy. 

"  O,  but  you  will  have  to  ask  him  to  take 
you,  Daddy,"  said  his  little  instructress,  open 
ing  wide  her  eyes. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  there's  the  stick, 
Fanny,  I  really  don't  know  how  fur  tu  ask 
him." 

"  Why,  Daddy,  how  would  you  ask  him  for 
bread  if  you  were  starving  ?  " 

"  I  calculate  I'd  beg  mighty  hard  if  I  was 
in  sich  a  tight  place." 

Fanny's  eyes  filled,  and  Daddy  feeling  rath 
er  uncomfortable,  patted  her  cheek  tenderly. 


366  LITTLE  WOLF. 

u  You're  a  fust  rate  leetle  gal.  Fanny,"  he 
said,  "  and  I'm  kinder  thinking  I'll  look  into 
this  ere  matter  by  and  by,  when  I  get  my 
lectur  writ." 

"  May  be,  if  you  should  ask  Him,  God 
would  make  you  think  what  is  the  best  thing 
to  say  in  your  lecture,"  persisted  the  child. 

"  Laws,  Fanny,  I  ken  think  of  them  ere 
things  myself.  All  the  help  I  want  is  a  leetle 
mite  from  you  about  the  spellin. 

"  Wycoff  now  appeared  looking  very  grave 
and  reported  Hank,  "  stone  dead." 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  MAY  DAY  WEDDINGS  —  Miss  ORREC- 
TA  LIPPINCOTT'S  SURPRISE  —  How  OLD 
LOVERS  BEHAVE. 


opened  slowly.  It  is  true,  at 
the  first  fierce  glance  of  the  sun,  the 
sensitive  snow  dissolved  in  tears  ;  bub 
he  was  forced  to  call  to  his  aid  the  strong 
winds  to  blow  long  upon  the  ice-bound  river, 
ere  it  yielded  and  permitted  the  beautiful 
steamers  again  to  ride  upon  its  throbbing 
bosom. 

There  were  those  who  eagerly  counted  the 
weeks  that  brought  about  these  changes,  for 


368  LITTLE  WOLF. 

each  hour  drew  them  nearer  to  their  bridal 
morning,  and  one  fair  May  day,  when  the 
"  earth  was  decked  in  her  garments  of  green, 
Louise  Sherman,  arrayed  in  her  bridal  robes, 
was  led  by  Dr.  Goodrich  to  the  marriage  al 
tar. 

Edward  Sherman  also  was  there,  to  cele 
brate  the  same  rite,  for,  in  a  few  short  weeks 
he  had  wooed  and  won  Miss  Clara  Hastings. 
It  was  with  no  small  degree  of  pride,  that  he 
looked  upon  that  tall,  elegant  woman  and 
called  her  wife. 

Clara  was  equally  proud  of  her  husband. 
Talented,  handsome,  and,  as  she  supposed, 
on  the  road  to  wealth,  she"  asked  no  more. 
Thus  they  set  out  in  life  together. 

The  ceremony  over,  the  wedding  parties, 
including  Mrs.  Sherman,  started  on  a  tour  to 
the  old  homestead,  where  it  was  their  inten 
tion  to  pass  a  few  weeks,  and  finally  to 
change  it  for  a  permanent  home  in  Minnesota. 

They  had  given  Recta  timely  notice  of 
their  coming,  and,  had  she  had  no  interrup 
tion,  the  housekeeper's  preparations  would 


LITTLE  WOLF. 

indeed  have  been  elaborate.  She  had  receiv 
ed  and  answered  Daddy's  letter  favorably, 
and  was  in  daily  expectation  of  a  second  com 
munication  from  the  same  source.  The  plan 
which  she  had  arranged  in  her  own  mind  was 
to  remain  until  after  the  arrival  of  the  family, 
and  then  to  spend  a  few  weeks  with  a  mar 
ried  sister,  whose  assistance  she  would  require 
in  the  preperation  of  her  bridal  outfit.  As  a 
general  thing  Recta's  head  was  pretty  clear, 
but  in  this  case,  she  did  not  count  upon  the 
proverbial  impetuosity  of  a  widower,  and, 
consequently,  signally  failed. 

One  bright  morning,  when  all  the  bed  and 
table  linen,  and  every  bleachable  thing  to  be 
found  in  the  house,  were  spread  upon  the 
grass  ;  when  feather  beds  and  blankets,  and 
carpets,  were  hung  out  to  air ;  when  soap 
suds  and  white-wash  stood  side  by  side ; 
when  the  china  closet  had  disgorged  its  treas 
ures,  and  the  silver  was  spread  out  for  extra 
polishing;  when  all  the  ingredients  for  a 
mammoth  fruit  cake  were  marshalled  on  the 
kitchen  table ;  when  chairs  and  other  furni- 


370  LITTLE   WOLF. 

ture  were  gathered  in  clusters,  as  if  discuss 
ing  the  general  uproar ;  when  poor  old  Lilly 
Foot  had  been  driven  forth  with  a  sharp  re 
proof  and  a  cold  breakfast,  and  forlorn  kitty, 
hid  away  in  a  dark  corner,  where  only  her 
green  eyes  were  visible,  mewed  disconsolate, 
a  loud  knock  was  heard  at  the  door. 

"  I  do  wonder  who  is  going  to  hinder  me 
now  ?  "  fretted  Recta,  as  lifting  her  dripping 
hands  from  her  scrubbing  suds,  and  drying 
them  upon  her  apron  she  obeyed  the  sum 
mons. 

At  the  first  glance  at  the  intruder  she  rec 
ognized  Daddy,  and  turning  pale  and  then 
red  by  turns,  she  sank  speedily  into  a  chair. 

How  changed  were  both  since  they  last 
met.  She  was  then  a  blooming,  brown  hair 
ed,  rather,  coquettishly  dressed  country  girl, 
and  he  black  haired,  dapper  and  gay.  Now 
he  beheld  her  in  faded  calico,  sallow,  wrink 
led  and  grey  ;  and  she  looked  upon  a  white 
haired,  shrivelled  up,  little  old  man. 

Both  were  for  the  moment,  silent  and  dis 
appointed,  but  Daddy  was  the  first  to  recov- 


UTTLE  WOLF.  371 

er  his  presence  of  mind.     "  'Tween  you  and 
me,  don't  you  know  me,  Recta  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  reckon  I  do,  Philip,"  said  Recta 
instinctively  covered  her  face  with  her  apron. 

A  smile  of  delight  broke  over  Daddy's  fea 
tures,  and  his  first  disappointment  was  for 
gotten.  "  That's  jest  as  you  used  to  sarve 
me,  Recta ;  now  I'm  agoin  fur  tu  sarve  you 
one  of  my  old  tricks,"  and,  by  an  adroit 
movement  to  which  he  encountered  a  very 
•  slight  resistance,  Recta's  features  were  again 
visible. 

There  was  a  deep  red  spot  on  either  cheek, 
and  she  looked  rather  foolish,  but  it  was  not 
long  before  the  old  lovers  were  living  over 
again  their  youthful  hours.  ( 

Oblivious  of  the  flight  of  time,  the  mid-day 
sun  shone  in  upon  them,  still  absorbed  in 
each  other.  It  would  be  impossible  to  say 
how  long  this  state  of  things  might  have  con 
tinued  had  not  Daddy  inadvertantly  called 
Recta's  attention  to  her  household  duties. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  I  want  fur  tu  git 
married  afore  night,"  he  was  saying,  when 


372  LITTLE   TVOLF. 

Recta  suddenly   sprang  to  her  feet  in  dire 
dismay. 

"  Why  Philip,"  she  exclaimed,  "  how  can 
I  get  married  and  all  this  work  on  hand  ?  " 

"  I'm  kinder  thinkin  we  ken  hev  the  job 
did,  and  then  I  ken  help  you  fur  to  do  the 
work." 

Recta,  demurred,  but  overwhelmed  with 
persuasions,  she  finally  consented  to  confer 
with  her  sister,  living  near  by,  and  the  result 
was,  they  were  married  before  night,  which 
fully  accorded  with  Daddy's  desires. 

The  next  morning  the  atmosphere  of  the 
house  had  materially  changed  :  but  the  as 
pect  not.  Lilly  Foot  luxuriated  on  a  warm 
breakfast,  and  strutted  about  the  house  com 
placently  wagging  his  tail,  and  green-eyed 
pussy  purred  contentedly  behind  the  kitchen 
stove. 

But  still  confronting  Recta  was  the  un 
touched  white-wash,  unwashed  china,  unpol 
ished  silver,  unmade  cake,  and  the  undone 
condition  of  things  generally. 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  I  wouldn't  go  fur  tu 


LITTLE  WOLF.  373 

du  no  work  to-day,"  advised  Daddy,  as  Rec 
ta  made  a  movement  towards  setting  the 
house  in  order 

"  I  reckon,  Philip,  Miss  Sherman  will  be 
here  in  a  few  days,  and  I  wouldn't  get  ketch- 
ed  in  this  plight  for  nothing. 

"  You  ain't  a  mite  like  mammy  was,"  said 
Daddy,  holding  affectionately  on  to  Recta's 
dress.  "  Laws,  she  would  jerk  herself  away 
from  me,  and  afore  I  knowd  it  be  a  flying 
around  the  house  like  a  whirl-wind,  orderin 
me  round  'till  I  didn'  know  what  fur  tu  du 
fust." 

"  O,  well,  you  must  let  me  go  now,  Philip," 
said  Recta,  good-naturedly,  "  or  I  won't  git 
nothing  done  to-day.  Now  don't  tech  me 
again  until  I  git  them  dishes  washed  and  sot 
up." 

"  Laws,  Recta,  don't  ask  me  fur  tu  wait 
that  long ;  I'd  like  fur  tu  help  you,  so  you'd 
get  through  quicker.  Now  set  me  tu  work, 
du," 

"Well,    Philip,   them  things  on  the  line 


374  LITTLE  WOLF. 

ought  to  be  brought  in.  I  forgot  'em  last 
night." 

"  'Tween  you  an'  me,  what  made  ye  forgit 
'em?"  said  Daddy,  mischievously. 

"  I  reckon  when  anybody  is  tagged  to  me 
every  minute,  I  can't  remember  nothing, 
Philip." 

At  this  mild  rebuke  Daddy  laughed  im 
moderately,  but  he  was  none  the  less  at  her 
heels.  Turn  whichever  way  she  would,  he 
was  always  there,  and  consequently  her  work 
progressed  slowly ;  so  slowly,  indeed,  that  the 
bridal  party  arrived,  and  found  her  illy  pre 
pared  to  meet  them. 

But  when  .the  circumstances  became 
known,  she  was  at  once  absolved  from  all 
blame,  and  loaded  with  congratulations  and 
presents  made  wondrously  happy. 

As  their  services  were  indispensable,  it  was 
decided  that  the  useful  old  couple  should  re 
main  through  the  breaking  up  and  moving 
season. 

While  the  younger  portion  of  J;he  house 
hold  gave  themselves  up  to  a  succession  of 


LITTLE  WOLF.  375 

pleasure  parties  given  in  their  honor,  Daddy 
and  Recta  spent  their  evenings  in  social  chat 
by  the  kitchen  fire.  At  such  times  Daddy 
was  the  chief  speaker,  and  Recta  never  wear 
ied  of  listening  to  his  wonderful  stories. 

Especially  was  she  interested  in  Little 
Wolfs  career.  Her  wonderful  escape  from 
Bloody  Jim,  her  triumphal  ride  over  Hank 
Glutter,  her  astonishing  beauty,  talents,  and 
virtues  were  subjects  upon  which  he  descant 
ed  with  great  fluency. 

"  'Tween  you  an'  me,  Recta,"  said  he,  be 
ing  in  an  uncommonly  confidential  frame  on 
one  of  these  occasions,  "  I  used  fur  tu  think 
that  are  Edward  Sherman  was  a  hanging 
around  the  Honey,  and  I  sot  myself  tu  put  a 
stop  to  it,  and  that  are  day  I  was  knocked 
down,  and  had  my  shoulder  put  out  of  jint, 
I  jest  gin  him  a  hint  that  a  nice  young  man 
was  a  goin  fur  tu  git  her." 

"  Why,  Philip,  I  thought  Edward  was 
about  the  nicest  young  man  in  the  world," 
Recta  ventured  to  assert. 

Daddy  elevated  his  eyebrows,  and  hitch- 


376  LITTLE   WOLF. 

ing  up  very  close  to  his  companion,  whisper 
ed,  "  'Tween  you  an'  me,  didn't  you  know  he 
drunk  no  thin  ?  " 

"You  don't  say  so,  Philip!"  exclaimed 
Recta,  in  tones  in  which  were  blended  sur 
prise  and  grief. 

"  I've  seed  him,"  declared  Daddy,  decid 
edly. 

"  Dear  me,  how  I  wish  he  had  always  staid 
to  home.  Dear  me,  I  can't  bear  to  have  it 
so  ;  he  was  such  a  sweet  little  feller,  when  I 
missed  and  tended  on  him.  He  don't  drink 
hard,  does  he,  Philip  ?  " 

"  I  guess  about  middlin.  I  never  seed  him 
dead  drunk,  but  I've  ketched  him  a  few 
times  about  as  full  as  he  could  hold.  He 
cum  hum  pretty  tight  from  the  party  last 
night." 

"  You  don't  say !  I  guess  that's  what's 
made  his  mother  so  low-spirited  all  day." 

"  I  kinder  think  that  are  wife  of  hisen  don't 
feel  nun  tu  nice  over  it  nuther,  fur  she  'pears 
ruther  down  in  the  mouth.  I  happened  fur 
tu  hear  her  a  telliu  him  this  morning,  that  fur 


LITTLE  WOLF.  377 

tu  drink  moderate  was  genteel,  but  tu  over 
drink  was  vulgar.  It's  my  opinion  he  ain't 
got  a  fur-seein  woman,  or  she  wouldn't  hev 
preached  no  sech  doctrine  as  that  are.  You 
wouldn't  have  ketched  the  Honey  a  doin  of 
it ;  she  thinks  it's  all  vulgar  and  wicked  tu." 

"  I  think  it's  a  sin  to  pass  it  around  at 
them  parties,  Philip." 

*'  Sartin,  Recta ;  young  fellers  will  get  a 
liking  for  it,  and  get  ruined  in  that  are  way." 

"  I  don't  see  what  makes  folks  do  it  when 
they  know  it's  such  dangerous  practice." 

"  'Tween  you  and  me,  it's  the  devil,"  said 
Daddy  bluntly.  "  He  has  allers  tempted  good 
folks  as  well  as  bad  with  his  pison.  He  man 
ages  somehow  fur  tu  make  'em  believe  there 
ain't  no  harm  in  it.  I  should  think  nobody 
could  help  a  knowin  of  it.  I  heered  some 
women  talkin  on  the  steamer,  and  one  of  'em 
said  she  knowed  a  lady  what  was  in  the  hab 
it  of  treating  gentlemen  friends  to  all  sorts  of 
fancy  drinks,  and  she  was  a  real  nice  lady, 
tu,  and  got  lots  of  'em  to  attend  her  church 
jest  by  them  means.  They  said  it  was  so 


378  LITTLE  WOLF. 

popular  to  drink  wine  now-a-days,  that  the 
best  of  folks  didn't  think  there  was  no  harm 
in  it." 

"  That  was  the  common  way  of  thinking 
when  I  was  young.  I  remember  very  clear 
when  the  minister  used  to  come  here  with  the 
judge,  and  the  judge  was  very  apt  to  go  off 
and  have  a  spree1  after  it.  Miss  Sherman 
mourned  herself  most  to  death,  but  when 
the  minister  came  out  strong  on  the  side  of 
temperance  and  preached  and  practised,  and 
the  judge  had  signed  the  pledge,  we  had  dif 
ferent  times,  I  tell  you.  Them  decanters 
have  stood  empty  on  the  side  board  ever 
since." 

"  I  wish  they  were  smashed,"  said  Daddy, 
emphatically. 

"  So  do  I,"  echoed  Recta.  "  I'd  like  to 
sarve  'em  as  the  heathen  do  their  idols  when 
they  git  converted  to  Christianity." 

"  Be  you  a  Christian,  Recta." 

Recta  looked  down  coufusedly,  twirled  her 
thumbs,  and  finally  answered  in  a  constrained 
tone,  "  I  belong  to  the  church," 


LITTLE    WOLF.  379 

*'  Du  ye  ?  well,  may  be  I'll  jine  it  tu.  I 
promised  Fanny  fur  tu  tend  tu  that  are  mat 
ter  when  I  got  my  lectur  done,  but  I  hed  fur 
to  tend  tu  gittin  married  fust." 

"  Your  what  done,  Philip  ?  " 

"My  lectur,  I  writ  one  on  temperance 
when  I  was  sick.  I  calculate  fur  tu  go  round 
deliverin  of  it  next  whiter  when  we  git  set 
tled.  'Tween  you  and  me,  I  may  clare  a  lit 
tle  money  on  it.  Lecturers  are  apt  tu,  I've 
heern  say." 

"  You  had  better  lectur  on  cabbages  if  you 
want  tu  make  money  on  it,"  was  the  wise  re 
sponse. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  OLD  BROWN  HOUSE  DESERTED  —  THE 
PEARL  AND  DIAMOND  RING  —  MR.  AND 
MRS.  MARSDEN'S  CONJECTURES 

§HE  old  brown  house  was  desolate  ;  the 
doors  bolted,  the  shutters  closed,  and 
not  a  sound  to  be  heard  within  its  walls. 
The  stable' too,  was  deserted,  for  now  Black 
Hawk  freely  roamed  in  the  pastures  of  his 
former  master. 

But  in  more  ways  than  one  had  he  done 
our  heroine  good  service.  Day  after  day, 
during  that  unhappy  Spring  she  had,  while 


LITTLE   WOLF.  381 

striving  to  banish  thought,  ridden  him 
through  the  wildest  of  wild  forest  paths,  reck 
less  alike  of  her  own  safety  and  his.  The 
noble  animal  forded  swollen  streams,  flound 
ered  through  treacherous  sloughs,  leaped  over 
fallen  trees  and  climbed  rocky  precipices,  and 
had  not  heaven  ordained  it  otherwise,  both 
horse  and  rider  must  have  fallen  a  prey  to 
the  dangers  of  the  way. 

Although  indulging  in  this  abandonment 
of  feeling,  Little  Wolf  neglected  none  of  her 
duties.  Indeed,  she  seemed  determined 
never  to  let  a  moment  escape  unoccupied. 
While  Daddy  was  confined  to  his  room,  and 
Mrs.  Peters  lived,  she  faithfully  supplied  their 
wants,  but  after  the  former  became  convales 
cent,  and  started  for  his  wife,  and  the  latter 
went  to  her  last  rest,  blessing  her  benefac 
tress  with  her  latest  breath,  she  had  no  one 
but  Fanny  on  whom  to  bestow  her  care,  ex 
cept,  indeed,  Mrs.  Peters'  grandson  Charley, 
for  whom  she  soon  obtained  a  desirable  situa 
tion. 

About  this  time,  she  received  repeated  and 


382  LITTLE   WOLF. 

pressing  invitations  from  her  much  loved 
school  friend,  Miss  Marsden,  to  accompany 
herself  and  brother  on  a  tour  to  California, 
upon  which  they  expected  to  set  out  some 
time  in  June.  The  marriage  of  Sorrel  Top, 
with  whom  she  had  made  arrangements  for 
Fanny  Green  to  remain,  until  such  times  as 
Daddy  and  his  wife  should  return  and  take 
possession  of  the  old  homestead,  and  the 
charge  of  the  child  was  most  opportune  :  for 
she  was  now  at  liberty  to  avail  herself  of  the 
change  so  affectionately  urged  upon  her. 

In  addition  to  the  allusions  before  made  to 
Alfred  and  Annie  Marsden,  we  will  here  sim 
ply  state,  that  the  brother  and  sister  were 
orphans,  and  heirs  of  considerable  property,  a 
part  of  which  consisted  in  an  elegant  city  res 
idence.  Here  they  had  lived  since  the  death 
of  their  parents,  which  occured  a  short  time 
previous  to  the  period  when  Little  Wolf  and 
their  daughter  left  school  together. 

The  son,  a  bachelor  of  about  thirty,  had,  a 
number  of  years  before,  visited  Minnesota  in 
quest  of  health.  His  proclivity  for  hunting 


LITTLE   WOLF.  383 

and  fishing  led  him  to  the  vicinity  of  Chim 
ney  Rock,  and  he  it  was,  who,  when  she  was 
a  small  child,  rescued  Little  Wolf  from  the 
hands  of  Bloody  Jim. 

But  this  was  his  own  secret  most  carefully 
guarded  from  our  heroine,  who,  during  her 
former  visit  had  learned  to  regard  him  in  the 
light  of  an  elder  brother  ;  but,  as  will  be  seen 
hereafter  his  feelings  towards  her  were  of  a 
warmer  character. 

Having,  therefore,  paid  a  flying  visit  to  St 
Paul,  and  wept  her  adieus  upon  the  bosom 
of  her  sympathizing  friend,  Mrs.  Tinknor, 
having  pouted  at  Tom,  and  made  her  finan 
cial  arrangements  with  the  Squire,  we  now 
behold  Little  Wolf  in  the  embrace  of  one, 
who  had  so  long  stretched  forth  her  arms  to 
receive  her. 

The  first  raptures  over,  we  hear  Miss  Mars- 
den  saying,  "  we  will  never  part  with  our 
Little  Wolf  again,  will  we,  brother  ?  ' 

The  response  is,  "  Not  if  I  can  help  it." 

We  know  not  why,  it  may  have  been  that 
these  words  of  affection,  brought  suddenly  to 


384  LITTLE   WOLF. 

her  mind  all  that  she  had  loved  and  lost,  or 
she  might  have  intuitively  divined  young 
Marsden's  sentiments  towards  her,  we  only 
know  that  her  lip  quivered,  and  she  trembled 
and  grew  pale  and  sank  helpless  upon  the 
sofa. 

Her  extreme  agitation  created  in  her  friends 
no  little  alarm,  but  it  soon  passed  off,  and  as 
they  could  not  but  observe  that  any  futher 
allusion  to  the  matter  was  annoying  to  her, 
the  brother  and  sister  exchanged  expressive 
glances  which,  being  interpreted,  signified, 
"  resolved  that  the  subject  be  indefinitely 
postponed."  But  it  was  again  mooted  on  the 
first  occasion  of  the  absence  of  their  guest ; 
Miss  Marsden  being  the  first  to  bring  it  under 
consideration. 

"  0,  it  was  only  fatigue,"  said  her  brother, 
in  reply  to  her  various  surmises. 

"  No,  it  was  not  fatigue,"  she  insisted  with 
an  arch  smile.  "  It  is  my  opinion  she  was 
laboring  under  some  powerful  emotion.  I 
once  saw  her  almost  as  much  agitated  in  one 
of  our  school  exhibitions,  in  which  she  was  to 


LITTLE   WOLF.  385 

act  a  prominent  part ;  but  she  went  through 
it  splendidly,  the  determined  little  thing." 

"  O  well,  it  might  have  been  excess  of  joy 
at  meeting  you." 

"  At  meeting  me,  do  you  say,  sir  ?  Now 
brother,  don't  try  to  crawl  out  of  it,  for  I 
have  determined  to  extort  the  truth  from  you. 
Was  she  not  overjoyed  at  meeting  you?  " 

"  Well,  then,  my  dear  sister,  the  truth  is,  I 
think  not.  You  must  have  noticed  she  takes 
special  pains  to  address  me  as  brother,  and 
always  to  treat  me  as  such,  and  you  young 
ladies  rarely  faint  at  the  sight  of  a  brother." 

"  O,  but  you  are  only  an  adopted  brother," 

—slyly. 

"  That's  all,"  sighed  the  young  man. 

"I  think  her  father's  death  has  changed  her 
a  little.  She  appears  more  thoughtful  and 
womanly  :  don't  she  brother  ?  " 

"I  wouldn't  be  surprised  if  she  were  in 
love,"  suggested  the  other. 

"  O  fie,  brother,  she's  not  in  love,  unless  it 
be  with  you ;  or  she  would  have  confided  it 
to  me.  Moreover,"  she  continued,  seeing  an 


386  LITTLE  WOLF. 

incredulous  smile  playing  upon  her  brother's 
lips,  "  you  must  yourself  admit  that  it  would 
be  a  very  strange  freak  for  a  young  lady  in 
love  to  voluntarily  put  the  ocean  between 
herself  and  the  object  of  her  affections.  I 
verily  believe  our  Little  Wolf  is  more  anx 
ious  if  possible,  to  start  on  the  tour  than  we 
are." 

"  Yes,  so  do  I,"  admitted  her  brother,  "  and 
I  can't  account  for  it." 

"  O,  it  is  simply  to  run  away  from  Mr.  Al 
fred  Marsden,''  was  the  ironic  reply. 

"  I  do  assure  you,  sister,  that  you  greatly 
mistake  our  mutual  sentiments." 

"  Not  yours,  certainly,  brother,  and  I  think 
not  hers;  but  I'll  find  out." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  broach  the 
matter  to  her,  sister,"  said  young  Marsden  in 
alarm,  "  It  would  spoil  all  the  pleasure  of  our 
trip.  Indeed,  I  know  she  would  not  go  at 
all." 

"  Nonsense,  brother,  do  you  think  me  a 
goose  ?  I  would  not  be  so  indelicate  ;  no  in 
deed.  There  are  more  ways  than  you  have 


LITTLE  WOLF.  387 

dreamed  of,  for  ferreting  out  a  love  secret." 

"  O  yes,  I  know  such  secrets  develope 
themselves  in  a  thousand  forms,  and  if  there 
is  anything  of  that  nature  in  her  breast  it  will 
transpire  in  due  time." 

u  It  was  not  long  before  the  young  man's 
prediction  came  near  proving  true,  and  thus 
it  happened. 

"  The  two  young  ladies,  Annie  and  Little 
Wolf  were  out  shopping,  and  becoming  weari 
ed,  they  stepped  into  a  fashionable  place  of 
resort  for  rest  and  refreshment.  While  wait 
ing,  a  small  party,  two  ladies  and  a  gentle 
man,  came  in  and  were  seated  at  a  table  not 
far  removed  from  their  own.  Little  Wolf's 
back  was  to  the  party,  but  Annie,  being  op 
posite  her  friend,  faced  them. 

At  the  first  sound  of  their  voices,  Little 
Wolf  turned  partly  round,  and  behold  there 
was  Edward  Sherman  with  his  wife  and  sis 
ter.  Her  movement  not  having  been  observ 
ed,  she  was  unrecognized  by  the  trio.  But 
so  violently  did  she  tremble  and  so  deathly 
was  her  countenance,  that  Annie  would  have 


388  LITTLE   WOLF. 

betrayed  her  by  an  exclamation  of  alarm,  had 
not  a  warning  gesture  from  Little  Wolf  stay 
ed  the  word  upon  her  lips. 

In  a  moment  Little  Wolf  recovered  herself 
sufficiently  to  write  upon  her  tablets,  "  Do 
not  speak  to  me,  Annie,  I  do  not  wish  to  be 
known  by  the  party  opposite." 

"  Annie  read  the  request,  and  returned  the 
answer,  "  You  will  faint,  let  me  order  wine." 

"  No,  I  shall  not  faint,"  wrote  Little  Wolfs 
trembling  fingers,  and  her  erect  little  figure 
involuntarily  drew  itself  up. 

"  Poor  things,  they  are  mutes ; "  said 
Louise,  compassionately  regarding  the  means 
of  communication  between  the  silent  young 
ladies. 

Mrs.  Sherman  assented,  and  the  lively 
young  bride's  acting  on  this  supposition,  im 
posed  no  restraint  upon  their  conversation. 
They  talked  about  the  past,  and  unveiled 
their  future  plans  ;  sipped  their  fancy  drinks 
and  ate  cake  while  Little  Wolf  and  Miss 
Marsden  vigorously  plied  their  pencils. 

Edward  alone  remained  unoccupied  except 


LITTLE  WOLF.  389 

indeed,  the  use  he  was  making  of  his  eyes, 
and  they  were  riveted  upon  Little  Wolf.  He 
was  watching  those  busy  little  hands,  and 
there  came  over  him  a  strange  feeling  of  heart 
sickness,  as  he  saw  on  one  dimpled  finger  a 
well  remembered  ring,  a  golden  hoop  with 
diamonds  uniquely  set  in  pearls.  It  was  a 
relic  of  the  past,  having  been  presented  to 
Little  Wolf's  mother  on  her  wedding  day. 
He  knew  well  it's  history,  for  the  present 
owner  had  told  it  to  him,  and  blushed  when 
he  said  to  her,  "  My  Little  Wolf  will  wear 
another  on  her  wedding  day." 

Then,  in  the  thought  there  was  bliss,  now, 
naught  but  anguish. 

The  longer  he  gazed,  the  more  he  became 
convinced  that  it  was  none  other  than  Little 
Wolf  whom  he  saw,  and  anxious  to  conceal 
the  fact  from  his  wife  and  sister,  he  made  a 
hasty  movement  to  leave. 

"  Why,  Edward,  what  possesses  you  ?  "  ex 
claimed  his  wife,  "  going  already,  and  your 
wine  untasted.  I  believe  you  are  crazy.  Sit 
still  a  moment,  I'm  not  ready.  The  stimu- 


390  LITTLE  WOLF. 

lant  hasn't  got  into  my  feet,  but  I  feel  it  go 
ing  down.  Come,  do  drink  a  little,  you  look 
as  pale  as  a  ghost." 

"  Do,  brother,"  chimed  in  Louise,  "  I  feel 
a  great  deal  brighter ;  but  don't  tell  the  doc 
tor  I  have  been  taking  anything  strong." 

"  Strong,"  repeated  Clara,  "  I  hope  you 
don't  call  a  little  light  claret,  strong." 

"  O  no,  I  don't,  but  the  doctor  does,  and  I 
may  as  well  keep  his  mind  easy,"  replied 
Louise. 

Edward  had  risen  to  his  feet,  and  waited 
silently  but  evidently  impatiently. 

"  Can't  I  persuade  you  to  take  a  little  be 
fore  we  go  ?  Do ;  you  look  so  pale  this 
morning,"  persisted  Mrs.  Sherman,  herself 
lifting  the  goblet  towards  her  husband. 

Determined  not  to  have  any  more  words, 
Edward  hastily  drank  the  proffered  beverage, 
and  immediately  left  the  place. 

When  they  had  fairly  disappeared,  Little 
Wolf  sank  back  in  her  chair,  and  breathed 
hard  as  if  awaking  from  a  terrible  night 
mare. 


LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  0,  I  was  so  afraid  they  would  discover 
me,"  she  gasped.  "  They  were  once  good 
friends  of  mine,"  she  continued  with  an  effort 
at  composure,  "  but  you  won't  care  will  you, 
dear  good  Annie,  if  I  don't  tell  you  how  it 
came  to  be  otherwise?  " 

Annie  looked  a  little  disappointed,  but  she 
magnanimously  put  Little  Wolf  at  her  ease  by 
saying,  "  No  indeed,  for  I'm  sure  it  was  no 
fault  of  yours." 

In  absence  of  evidence,  "Annie  of  course, 
put  her  own  construction  on  what  had  occur- 
ed,  and  mentally  voted  Edward  a  villain,  and 
his  wife  and  sister  his  accomplices.  This 
opinion  she  expressed  to  her  brother,  when 
in  an  hour  of  confidence,  she  glowingly  pic 
tured  the  scene. 

"  I  think  the  young  man  must  be  at  the 
bottom  of  the  mischief,"  she  said,  "  for  he 
was  even  more  agitated  than  Little  Wolf. 
He  had  recognized  her  from  the  first,  although 
I  cannot  devine  how,  for  she  sat  with  her 
back  to  them." 

"  I  would  have  known  her  among  a  thous- 


392 


LITTLE  WOLF. 


and,"  cried  young  Marsden,  enthusiastically. 
"  O,  then,  I  suppose  he  must  have  been  an 
old  lover,"  said  his  sister  mischievously. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

A  TRIP  TO  CALIFORNIA  —  JUMPING  OVER 
BOARD  —  THE  GRAND  SUPPER  AND  WHAT 
CAME  OF  IT  —  THE  CAPTAIN'S  LITTLE 
DAUGHTER. 

S  the  most  agreeable  method  of  con 
veying  to  the  reader  a  correct  account 
of  Little  Wolfs  adventures,  and  perso 
nal  feelings  during  her  journeying,  we   will 
quote  largely  from  letters  addressed  from  time 
to  time  to  her  friend,  Mrs.  Tinknor. 
"  From  the  first  we  take  the  following  : 
"  While  I  write,  the  Captain's  little  daugh- 


394  LITTLE  WOLF. 

ter  sits  beside  me.  We  have  met  several 
times  on  the  hurricane  deck  —  Flora  and  I  — 
and  are  on  quite  intimate  terms,  considering 
the  shortness  of  our  acquaintance.  The  first 
twenty  four  hours  she  was  seasick,  '  wery, 
wery  sick,'  she  informed  me,  and  her  pale 
face  bore  traces  of  the  ordeal  through^which 
she  had  passed ;  and,  indeed,  the  countenan 
ces  of  most  of  the  passengers  are  suggestive 
of  Tompsonian  doctors.  To  such,  our  three 
days  at  sea  must  have  been  uncommonly  dis 
agreeable,  the  weather  having  been  rough  the 
entire  period.  Yesterday,  we  were  favored 
with  a  storm.  The  commencement  Avas  most 
sublime  ,  but  all  having  been  unwillingly  or 
dered  below  I  was  borne  resisting  into  the 
cabin  and  the  splendid  exhibition  of  nature 
shut  from  my  view,  of  course  I  could  not  keep 
on  my  feet,  but  I  managed  to  climb  upon  a 
stand,  and  holding  on  with  all  my  might,  I 
could  see  the  waves  through  the  port  hole 
run  mountains  high,  and  what  silly  thing  do 
you  think  I  did  ?  I  actually  cried  with  vexa 
tion,  shut  up  in  that  miserable  place. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  395 

"  It  was  as  if  Black  Hawk  had  been  bear 
ing  me  exultant  on  a  wild  gallop  in  the  face 
of  winds  that  shook  the  very  foundations  of 
the  earth,  and,  the  loftiest  enthusiasm  having 
been  enkindled,  I  was  suddenly  plun  ged  into 
a  sickening,  stifling,  dismal  cavern,  and  shut 
out  from  light  and  liberty. 

"  I  made  frantic  assaults  upon  the  port 
hole,  and  the  remonstrances  of  the  ship  car 
penter,  who  chanced  to  spy  me,  would  have 
availed  him  nothing  had  he  not  forcibly  lifted 
me  down,  and  seated  me  upon  the  floor  of 
my  state-room. 

"  The  miserable  creature  imagined  me 
frightened  out  of  my  senses.  '  No  immediate 
danger  Miss,'  said  he, '  compose  yourself ;  the 
ship  will  right  up  directly  —  throwing  all  the 
light  trash  overboard  —  chicken  coops  just 
gone  over.' 

" '  Man, '  moaned  a  woman  on  whose  face 
was  blended  an  expression  of  benevolence 
and  nausea,  '  did  you  open  those  coops,  and 
let  out  those  fowls,  that  they  may  not  drift 
about  and  starve  ?  ' 


396  LITTLE   WOLF. 

"  'The  sea,  madam,'  said  the  builder  of 
ships,  grandly,  '  the  sea  has  swallowed  them 
coops  and  all.' 

"  Miss  Flora  has  just  asked  me  if  my  letter 
is  not  most  finished,  '  for,'  said  the  cunning 
little  elf  '  you  might  put  in  that  papa  called 
you  a  stubborn  little  wretch  yesterday,  when 
you  wouldn't  go  down  to  the  cabin.' 

"  I  wonder  if  he  dared  to  say  it,  I  suppose 
I  looked  incredulous,  for  the  little  mischief 
continues  to  reiterate  the  assertion,  but  she 
consolingly  adds,  '  He  was  wery,  wery  angry 
then,  and  he  knew  you  wouldn't  hear  him. 
You  don't  care,  do  you  ?  ' 

"  I  have  almost  told  a  fib,  and  said,  '  no  in 
deed.' 

Two  days  later. 

"  I  have  had  my  revenge  on  the  captain  by 
jumping  overboard. 

"  Yesterday  Flora  and  myself  were  loung 
ing  upon  the  stationary  seat,  attached  to  the 
railing  of  the  hurricane  deck.  Both  of  us  had 
been  silent  for  some  time.  I  had  been  gaz 
ing  dreamily  down  into  the  deep,  blue  waters 


LITTLE  WOLF.  397 

thinking  of,  I  hardly  know  what,  but,  I  re 
member  that  a  strange  impulse  occasionally 
seized  me  to  plunge  beneath  those  snow-cap 
ped  waves  and  rest  my  poor  head  upon  the 
ocean's  bed,  for  it  is  not  as  easy  to  hold  it  up 
now  as  it  once  was,  when  mammy  lived,  and 
took  me  in  her  arms  and  bade  the  '  Honey 
hold  up  her  blessed  little  head,  and  never  let 
that  droop  whatever  might  come.'  Precious 
old  creature,  she  too  bore  a  life  long  sorrow, 
and  bravely  bore  it.  Daddy  never  suspected, 
that  his  bustling,  little  grey  wife  had  a  tender 
secret  burried  beneath  the  tumult  of  activity, 
which  continually  bubbled  up  within  her  gen 
erous  breast. 

"  But  I  am  digressing  from  the  subject  of 
my  sea  bath,  of  which  Miss  Flora  was  the 
immediate  occasion.  She  had  incautiously 
leaned  too  far  over  the  railing,  and,  losing 
her  balance,  fell.  I  was  startled  from  my 
reverie  by  a  slight  scream,  and  in  an  instant 
more,  she  was  beneath  the  waves.  I  knew 
that  I  could  swim,  and  had  I  not,  I  would 
have  plunged  after  her  all  the  same. 


398  LITTLE  WOLF. 

'*  I  discovered,  however,  that  the  waves  in 
a  quiet  cove  of  the  Mississippi,  were  but  rip 
ples  compared  with  the  surging  waters  of  the 
ocean,  and  my  childhood  paddle  in  the  form 
er  but  a  poor  preparation  for  'battle.  I  sank 
deep  and  rose  breathless,  and  almost  helpless, 
but  fortunately,  Flora  was  dashed  within  my 
reach,  and  I  clutched  her  dress,  and  we  were 
both  saved. 

"  The  captain  had  witnessed  the  accident 
from  the  deck  and  was  the  first  to  come  to 
our  rescue.  Spars  were  thrown  out,  and 
several  hardy  sailors  leaped  in  and  helped  to 
bear  us  up  until  the  life  boat  was  lowered, 
and  we  were  all  once  more  transported  on 
board  of  our  staunch  ship. 

"  I  have  been  flattered  and  feted  ever 
since.  A  grand  supper  was  given  in  my 
honor  last  evening,  and,  as  I  was  in  such  high 
favor,  I  made  bold  to  accept  my  invitation  on 
condition  that  the  table  should  be  innocent 
of  wine.  The  Captain  cordially  complied 
with  the  condition,  although  Flora  had  pre 
viously  volunteered  the  information,  that 


LITTLE   WOLF.  399 

'  papa  was  wery  fond  of  wine,  but  mamma 
did  not  like  him  to  drink  it.' 

"  The  dear  child  has  much  to  say  about  her 
mama,  who,  '  died,  a  wery,  wery  long  time 
ago.'  One  little  year  has  she  been  mother 
less,  and  what  sweet  graphic  pictures  does  she 
draw  of  the  lost  one.  '  Mama  had  wery  soft 
curls,  papa  called  'em  golden;  mama  had 
wery  blue  eyes,  papa  called  'em  wiolet,  and 
she  had  wery  pink  cheeks,  and  papa  called 
'em  sea  shells,  and  he  called  her  wery  little 
mouth,  a  rose  bud  and  her  wery  soft  hands, 
welvet,  and  what  do  you  think  he  named  her 
wery,  wery,  cunning  little  feets  ?  —  mices.  — 
He  read  all  about  'em  in  a  book  one  evening, 
how  they  stoled  in  and  out  like  little  mices, 
—  now  wasn't  that  wery,  wery  nice  ?  ' 

"  She  is  more  devoted  to  me  than  ever, 
since  her  narrow  escape  from  the  sea,  and  she 
is  sure  that  I  will  not  be  sent  into  the  cabin 
when  the  next  storm  comes  on.  Indeed  I  ex 
acted  a  promise  from  the  Captain,  while  at 
the  feast  to  that  effect.  He  said  I  might  be 
lashed  to  the  rigging  and  blown  to  pieces  if 


400  LITTLE  WOLF. 

I  wished,  and  I  do  wish  —  O  how  I  long  for 
another  storm," 

Three  days  later. 

"  The  sky  is  clear,  the  sea  smooth,  and  the 
passengers  are  mostly  upon  deck,  enjoying 
the  fine  weather. 

"  Mr.  and  Miss  Marsden  have  appeared  for 
the  first  time,  and  we  have  had  a  general  re 
joicing.  The  Captain  is  an  old  friend  of 
theirs  and  we  were  invited  into  his  room  and 
treated  to  wine  on  the  occasion.  All  drank 
socially  except  myself  and  Flora,  who,  when 
she  saw  that  I  had  taken  none,  set  her  glass 
down  untasted. 

'  The  influence  of  good  example,'  said  the 
Captain  smiling  approvingly  on  Flora. 

"  Do  you  really  think  the  example  good  ?  " 
I  asked  eagerly. 

"  '  Most  certainly,  my  dear  Miss  DeWolf, 
my  wife  would  have  acted  precisely  the  same. 
She  did  not  approve  social  drinking,  but  one 
in  my  position  acquires  the  habit  almost  from 
necessity.  My  associations  are  mostly  with  a 
class  that  expect  it  of  me.  I  do  not  care  for 


LITTLE   WOLF.  401 

it  myself,  but  I  do  not  like  to  appear  unso 
cial.' 

"  '  Nor  do  I,'  chimed  in  Miss  Marsden,  sip 
ping  her  glass. 

"  '  We  tempt  and  are  tempted  on  every 
hand,'  said  Mr.  Marsden  thoughtfully.  '  So 
ciety  demands  the  social  glass  and  we  yield 
to  its  demands,  and  why  ?  Because  we  have 
not  the  moral  courage  to  do  otherwise.' 

"  We  have  !  I  exclaimed,  we  have  !  you 
have,  your  sister  has,  the  Captain  has.  JTou 
have  never  tried.  You  have  never  fully 
realized  whither  it  tended  —  I  have.  Shall  I 
tell  you  ? 

"At  any  ordinary  time  I  would  not  have 
drawn  the  heart  rending  picture  of  the  conse 
quences  of  social  drinking  which  I  was  then 
inspired  to  do.  It  was  as  if  a  frightful  pano 
rama  of  ruined  fortunes,  and  ruined  families 
was  passing  before  me  and  I  described  all  I 
saw  and  when  the  view  became  too  painful, 
too  revolting  for  words,  I  bowed  my  head  and 
wept. 


402  LITTLE   WOLF. 

" '  For  heavens  sake,  say  no  more,'  cried  out 
the  Captain. 

"  Flora  flung  her  arms  around  my  neck, 
and  mingled  her  tears  with  mine.  '  What 
shall  we  do  ?  '  she  asked  plaintively. 

"• '  We  might  draw  up  a  total  abstinence 
pledge  and  all  put  our  names  to  it,'  said  Mr. 
Marsden  quite  cheerfully. 

"  After  some  pleasent  discussion,  his  sug 
gestion  obtained  favor,  and  was  carried  out 
without  delay,  and  in  half  an  hour's  time  we 
were  all  pledged  to  total  abstinence  from  in 
toxicating  drinks.  The  matter  was  duly  ex 
plained  to  Flora,  and  she  added  her  mark 
with  an  air  of  consequence  quite  amusing. 

"  Nor  was  that  all ;  the  enthusiastic  little 
missionary  stated  that  she  knew  of  several 
wery  nice  sailors  who  would  like  to  put  their 
names  on  the  paper,  for  she  had  seen  them 
drink  something  out  of  bottles.  She  was  ac 
cordingly  permitted  to  present  this  pledge  to 
her  particular  friends,  who,  it  transpired,  in 
cluded  the  whole  crew. 

"  I   was  much  affected  by  a  li ttle  scene 


LITTLE  WOLF.  403 

which  I  witnessed  in  connection  with  her  la 
bors.  A  weather-beaten  old  sailor,  whose  on 
ly  fault  was  his  uncontrollable  appetite  for 
rum,  read  the  pledge  carefully,  and,  shaking 
his  head  quite  hopelessly,  handed  it  back.  '  I 
can't  agree  to  that,  little  pet,'  said  he,  '  I 
can't  abstain,  I'd  give  the  world  if  I  could, 
but  I  can't.  I  lay  in  bed  the  morning  we  set 
sail  and  thought  it  all  over.  I  thought  of 
my  little  boy  and  gal  sleeping  in  their  trundle 
bed.  I  thought  of  the  pleadings  of  my  patient 
wife,  and  I  resolved  to  let  liquor  alone,  but 
I  can't  do  it  —  I  was  the  worse  for  it  yester 
day.  No,  I  can't  abstain,'  and  his  voice 
quivered. 

" '  May  be,  if  you'd  try  again,  wery,  wery 
hard,'  persisted  Flora,  who  did  not  compre 
hend  how  uncontrollable  the  appetite  be 
comes. 

"  '  No,  my  little  pet  —  no  —  none  but  God 
Almighty  can  save  me  now  —  I'm  in  the 
breakers.' 

"  His  look  of  despair  moved  me  to  step  for 
ward  and  interpose.  Would  not  Flora  have 


404  LITTLE   WOLF. 

perished  in  the  deep  water,  had  there  been 
no  effort  made  to  save  her  ?  I  questioned. 

"  '  You're  a  brave  gal,'  said  he.  '  I  saw 
you  go  after  her  ;  you  would  have  saved  her 
if  you  could,  and  you  would  save  me  but  you 
can't.' 

"That's  true,  I  replied,  but  God  can. 
Jesus  Christ  will  bring  you  safely  out  of  the 
breakers,  if  you  will  cling  to  him.  You  are 
in  great  peril  but  it  is  not  too  late.  Never 
give  up  the  ship. 

"  Thus  I  talked  until  hope  began  to  reani 
mate  him,  and  he  said  •  when  I  get  back  to 
New  York  I'll  try  again  to  give  up  my  dram 
and  be  a  Christian.' 

"Now  —  now,  there's  no  time  like  now,  I 
persisted,  and  finally  he  yielded,  and  said, 
*  No  wit  shall  be.  I'll  put  my  name  to  the 
paper,  and  may  God  Almighty  help  me.' 

'"  His  name,  John  Hopkins,  stands  in  full 
upon  the  pledge  ;  the  large  crooked  letters 
bea'ring  traces  of  the  struggle  by  which  he 
was  shaken. 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  I  ever  read  the  Bible  to 


LITTLE   WOLF.  405 

dear  old  Mrs.  Peters,  for  it  was  there  that  I 
learned  the  lesson,  which  I  so  lately  taught 
the  despairing  seamen,  and  nothing  can  now 
wrest  the  sweet  knowledge  of  a  Saviour's 
love  from  me.  My  heart  has  found  refuge  in 
it. 

"Do  you  remember  the  day  that  Tom 
dressed  in  your  blue  apron,  with  a  bunch  of 
keys  at  his  belt  and  pretended  to  personate  me 
at  the  head  of  an  orphan  asylum,  how  we  all 
laughed  ?  Well,  I  secretly  wished  myself  ca 
pable  of  doing  good  in  that  way,  and  you 
may  tell  Tom  that  if  I  should  ever  attempt 
anything  of  the  kind,  I  will  give  him  a  lucra 
tive  situation  as  general  overseer  of  the  estab 
lishment." 

Two  days  later. 

"  Last  evening  we  arrived  at  Aspinwall 
having  made  the  trip  from  New  York  in  ten 
days.  This  morning  we  bade  adieu  to  our 
kind  friends  of  the  steamship,  'Northern 
Star '  and  crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  a 
distance  of  about  twenty  miles,  by  railroad. 


406  LITTLE  WOLF. 

A  fine  large  steamer  lay  upon  the  waters  of 
the  Pacific  awaiting  our  arrival. 

"  Having  embarked,  I  found  a  little  vacant 
nook,  under  the  awning,  where  I  am  now 
writing,  while  the  scenes  of  to-day  are  still 
fresh  in  my  mind. 

"  I  was  ejichanted  as  we  passed  swiftly  over 
the  narrow  neck  of  land  dividing  the  two 
oceans.  The  dense,  vine-clad  forests,  alive 
with  birds  of  every  brilliant  hue,  and  border 
ed  with  gorgeous  flowers  ;  the  low  thatched 
huts  of  the  natives,  and  the  natives  them 
selves  in  holiday  dress  of  thin  white,  all  con 
spired  to  awaken  the  most  pleasing  emotions. 

"  The  villages  at  both  ends  of  the  route 
were  swarming  with  natives,  the  women  with 
baskets  of  cake  and  fruit  and  beautiful  birds 
for  sale,  the  men  eager  to  carry  our  luggage 
for  '  two  bits.' 

"  A  small  proportion  of  the  women  were 
bright  and  pretty  ;  one  really  beautiful,  with 
liquid  eyes  and  smooth  jet  braids,  upon  which 
were  fantastically  perched  a  pair  of  green, 


LITTLE   WOLF. 


407 


trained  birds,  was  very  popular  with  the  pass 
engers,  and  soon  emptied  her  basket. 

"  I  purchased  her  pet  paroquets  and  sent 
them  to  console  Flora,  whom  I  left  sobbing 
quite  piteously  in  the  Captain's  arms.  We 
promised  her  papa  to  make  our  arrangements 
to  return  on  his  steamer  and  his  promise  to 
lash  me  to  the  rigging  in  the  event  of  a  storm 
still  holds  good." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


A  VISIT  TO  MBS.  SHERMAN'S  ROOM  —  DAD 

DY      AND      HIS     NEW     SPOUSE  —  OMINOUS 

SIGNS. 

i  EFORE  opening  another  letter,  let  us 
pay  a  flying  visit  to  the  Sherman  fami 
ly,  and  also  to  Daddy  and  his  spouse. 
The  former  are  to  be  found  in  their  old 
quarters  at  Pendleton,  the  latter  installed  in 
the  brown  house  at  Chimney  Rock. 

It  is  near  midnight,  rather  an  unseasonable 
hour  to  intrude  upon  our  friends,  but  no  mat 
ter  ;  at  the  house  we  shall  first  enter  ;  regular 
habits  do  not  prevail. 


LITTLE  WOLF.  409 

We  will  now  imagine  ourselves  in  the 
broad  hall,  on  the  second  floor  of  the  finest 
hotel  in  Pendleton. 

Open  softly  the  door  at  your  right.  There 
the  eldest  Mrs.  Sherman,  lies  sleeping.  Her 
grey  hair  is  parted  smoothly  under  her  white 
frilled  cap,  her  hands  are  folded  resignedly 
upon  her  breast,  and  the  angel  of  her  dreams 
has  imprinted  upon  her  features  the  chasten 
ed  smile  so  often  seen  upon  the  face  of  age. 

We  would  fain  prolong  her  slumbers,  for, 
alas,  we  cannot  stay  the  swiftly  drifting  cloud, 
that  is  coming  to  darken  her  waking  hours : 
the  silver  lining  of  which  she  will  not  see, 
until,  a  spirit  ^winged  for  glory,  she  soars 
above  it. 

A  confusion  of  sounds  from  below  reaches 
us.  Footsteps  are  upon  the  stairs,  uncertain, 
shuffling,  as  if  grouping  in  darkness.  Low. 
persuasive  voices  are  heard,  a  sharp  retort 
follows.  "  No,  Clara  is  fiendish  when  I  have 
been  drinking,  I  will  not  meet  her." 

A  woman  has  just  brushed  past  us.     She 


410  LITTLE  WOLF. 

stands  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  pale  and  de 
termined. 

"  Bring  him  not  here,"  she  hisses  between 
her  closed  teeth,  to  the  men  who  are  assisting 
her  husband  to  mount.  "  Take  him  to  your 
own  homes — listen  to  his  ravings.  Bear  his 
insults  ;  blows  if  need  be.  Perform  the  most 
disagreeable  services  for  him.  Yes,  even  im 
peril  your  lives  in  his  service,  you  who  are 
his  disinterested  friends.  You,  who  have  en 
joyed  your  bacchanalian  revels  with  him, 
take  the  consequences.  Bring  him  not  to 
me.  I  despise,  I  hate  the  man  who  cannot 
control  his  appetite  —  I  tell  you  away  with 
him  !  "  she  shrieked,  as  his  friends  continued 
to  urge  him  upward. 

"  Clara."  A  hand  is  laid  gently  on  her 
arm.  Her  mother-in-law  stands  trembling 
beside  her  ;  the  noise  has  awakened  her,  and 
"she  has  come  out  in  her  night  dress.  "  I  will 
take  Edward  to  my  room  and  quiet  him  ;  he 
shall  not  disturb  you,  my  daughter." 

"  I  am  not  your  daughter.  I  will  no  long 
er  be  his  wife.  I  will  leave  the  house  this 


LITTLE  WOLF.  411 

moment  never  to  return.  He  has  disgraced 
me  long  enough.  I  will  not  bear  it.  I  will 
not  be  the  wife  of  a  drunkard.  I  have  told 
him  so  times  without  number.  You  may 
soothe  him  if  you  like  —  pet  him  — give  him 
peppermint  —  I  will  not  live  with  a  man  who 
cannot  control  his  appetite." 

Tears  and  entreaties,  are  of  *no  avail ;  the 
determination  of  the  high-spirited  wife  re 
mains  unaltered,  and  she  has  gone  forth  to 
her  father's  house,  leaving  her  mother-in-law 
not  quite  alone  with  the  invalid,  for  Louise 
and  the  doctor  have  been  summoned. 

Meanwhile,  how  thrives  Daddy  ? 

We  shall  see  by  the  morning  sun.  It  has 
just  risen,  and  so  has  Daddy.  He  peeps  out 
and  the  sun  peeps  in,  blinding  his  old  eyes 
and  cheering  his  old  heart.  He  and  Recta 
are  happy  now.  Hear  him  whistle  like  a  boy 
as  he  dresses.  '  Recta  helps  him  put  his  rheu 
matic  arm  into  his  coat  sleeve,  and  he  kisses 
Recta. 

Both  leave  the  room,  and  as  they  pass  a 
door  standing  ajar,  push  it  open.  Here  is  lit- 


412  LITTLE  WOLF. 

tie  Fanny  Green  standing  with  bare  feet  be 
fore  the  open  window,  brushing  out  her  flax 
en  hair. 

"  O,  Daddy,"  she  exclaims,  "  a  bird  flew  in 
here  awhile  ago,  a  real  live  bird  flew  right  in 
at  the  window,  and  throbbed  his  wings  so 
hard  against  the  glass  that  he  woke  me. 
Why,  before  I  could  catch  him,  he  flew  out. 
Do  you  think  it  would  have  been  wicked  to 
have  caught  him,  Daddy  ?  " 

"  Laws,  no,  Fanny.  'Tween  you  and  me, 
the  Honey  would  have  ketched  him  in  a  sec 
ond.  She  was  uncommon  spry  when  she  was 
a  leetle  gal." 

"O,  Daddy,  may  —  " 

"  You  musn't  hinder  me  now  ;  I  must  go 
fur  tu  milk  the  cows." 

''  O,  well,  you  won't  feed  the  chickens  'till 
I  come,  will  you,  Daddy?  I'll  dress,  O,  ever 
so  quick,  and  say  a  very  little  prayer,  and 
come  right  out.  I  want  to  feed  the  speckled 
hen  and  the  little  yellow  chicks ;  please  Dad 
dy  don't  forget  me,  will  you  ?  " 

Recta  looks  very  much  disturbed  as  they 


LITTLE  WOLF.  413 

pass  on  together.  "  That  bird,"  she  mutters 
very  mysteriously,  "  it's  a  very  bad  sign." 

"  What's  a  bad  sign,  Recta  ?  " 

"Why,  don't  you  know,  Phillip,  when  a 
bird  comes  into  the  house  it's  a  sure  sign  of 
death  in  the  family  ?  I  have  never  known  it 
to  fail.  There  was  Squire  Billings  died  in 
less  than  a  year  after  a  bird  flew  in  at  the 
winder.  Sally  told  me  they  was  a  watching 
for  some  one  to  die  and  it  turned  out  to  be 
the  Squire." 

" '  Tween  you  and  me,  Recta,  that  was 
singular  ;  now  I  think  on't  I've  noticed  late 
ly  that  Fanny  has  looked  ruther  pimpin.  We 
must  not  cross  her  in  nuthin.  I  shan't  tech 
the  chicken  feed  'til  she  comes  ;  '  tween  you 
and  me,  hadn't  we  better  write  to  the  Hon- 
ey?" 

"  May  be  she  don't  believe  in  signs,  some 
don't,"  said  Recta,  reflectively. 

"  '  Tween  you  and  me,  we  might  tell  her 
about  Squire  Billings." 

"  That  wouldn't  make  any  difference,  Phil 
lip,  you  can't  convince  some  people.  We 


414  LITTLE   WOLF. 

may  as  well  not  write  until  Fanny  is  really 
taken  sick.  I  wonder  if  she  had  ever  had  the 
measles  :  Neighbor  Wycoff  is  awful  sick  with, 
them." 

"  '  Tween  you  and  me,  I  guess  we  had  bet 
ter  write,"  persists  Daddy,  struck  with  a  new 
terror. 

There  is  a  sudden  hush,  and  Fanny  trips 
in  bright  as  a  May  morning. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

MORE   NEWS    FROM   LITTLE   WOLF  —  TOM 
TLNKNOR'S  TESTIMONY. 

ERE  again  is  news  from  Little  Wolf. 
|  The  postmark  is  San  Francisco  ;  a  few 

hurried  lines  running  thus : 
"  We  arrived  here  last  evening.  Mr.  Mars- 
den  has  the  Panama  fever.  His  sister  and 
myself  watch  over  him  day  and  night.  His 
physician  is  hopeful,  but  says  the  disease  is 
exceedingly  tedious.  We  shall  probably  be 
detained  here  for  a  long  time. 


416  LITTLE  WOLF. 

Please  write  as  soon  as  you  receive  this. 
I  am  anxious  to  hear  from  Daddy  and  Fanny. 
Your  affectionate 

LITTLE  WOLF." 

From  Mrs.  Tinknor's  answer  we  extract 
the  following : 

"  As  we  had  not  heard  from  Daddy  for 
some  time,  I  persuaded  Tom  to  go  down  and 
see  how  they  were  getting  along.  He  has 
just  returned  and  stands  ready  to  relieve 
your  anxiety.  I  will  leave  him  to  give  an 
account  of  affairs  in  his  own  language." 

•'  I  am  requested  to  give  my  testimony 
which  is  this :  The  house  was  in  apple-pie 
order.  Not  a  fly  had  the  temerity  to  ap 
proach  the  parlor.  Miss  Fanny  had  learned 
to  knit,  and  had  constructed  a  pair  of  stock 
ings.  Mrs.  Recta  says  if  she  lives  she  will 
make  a  good  housekeeper.  I  shall  marry  her 
when  she  is  old  enough.  The  old  folks  are 
sure  she  will  die  '  afore  the  year  is  out,  'cause 
a  bird  flew  in  at  her  winder.'  I  told  them 
the  bird  was  after  Daddy,  and  the  supersti 
tious  old  man  was  instantly  seized  with  a 


LITTLE   WOLF.  417 

violent  pain  in  his  big  toe.  I  am  afraid  he 
will  feel  it  is  his  duty  to  die.  He  and  Recta 
bill  and  coo  like  two  old  fools. 

I  am  ready  to  swear  to  the  above  testimo 
ny.  T.  T. 

P.  S.  Daddy  saw  six  ghosts  last  evening 
in  the  pasture  where  half  a  dozen  sheep  were 
grazing.  TOM." 

"  I  am  afraid,  my  dear,  that  Tom's  non 
sense  has  illy  prepared  your  mind  for  the  sad 
news  I  have  to  communicate  concerning  your 
friends  the  Shermans.  The  elder  and  the 
younger  Mrs.  Sherman  are  both  dead.  The 
elder  died  last  week ;  it  is  said  of  a  broken 
heart.  The  other  accidently  put  an  end  to 
her  own  life  several  weeks  ago.  She  had 
parted  from  her  husband,  he  having  returned 
home  several  times  intoxicated.  Being  in  a 
very  unhappy  frame  of  mind  in  her  father's 
house,  she  resorted  to  morphine  to  induce 
sleep,  and,  unaccustomed  to  its  effects,  swal 
lowed  an  over  dose.  The  mistake  was  dis 
covered  when  too  late  to  save  her.  It  is  said 
that  Edward's  remorse  is  fearful,  and  he  has 


418  LITTLE   WOLF. 

solemly  sworn  never  to  taste  another  drop  of 
intoxicating  drink.  His  home  is  now  with 
Dr.  Goodrich  and  his  sister,  who  have  com 
menced  house-keeping  in  a  nice  little  cot 
tage." 

Extract  from  Little  Wolf's  reply. 

"  Many  thanks  to  Tom  for  his  share  of  the 
letter.  I  hope  he  will  frequently  repeat  his 
visits  to  Chimney  Rock,  and  acquaint  me 
with  the  results.  It  will  discipline  him  for 
the  work  I  shall  assign  him  in  my  orphan 
asylum,  and  moreover  I  feel  concerned  about 
the  pain  in  Daddy's  big  toe. 

"  All  jesting  aside,  so  many  unforseen  events 
have  crowded  into  the  months  of  my  absense 
that  I  feel  prepared  for  almost  any  change. 
It  is  well  that  I  know  that  you  will  be  a 
mother  to  Fanny  in  the  event  of  any  change 
in  Daddy's  family.  According  to  Tom's  ac 
count,  he  is  to  be  her  husband.  I  will  draw 
a  picture  of  their  courtship  for  him. 

"  A  slender,  fair  haired  girl  and  a  gallant 
youth  seated  —  let  me  think  —  three  feel- 
apart  in  the  grape  arbor  at  the  old  brown 


LITTLE   WOLF.  419 

house.  Their  eyes  meet  and  speak  a  lan 
guage  quite  familiar  to  gallant  youths  and 
fair  haired  girls  in  general,  and  to  those  two 
in  particular.  How  prettily  the  white  throat 
of  the  beautiful  blonde  swells,  and  how  the 
frill  of  lace  around  it  trembles,  as  if  fanned 
by  the  passing  breeze. 

"  They  do  not  see  the  white  haired  old 
man  who  is  silently  gathering  grapes  without 
the  arbor,  occasionally  peering  cautiously 
through  the  vines  and  lattice  work  at  them. 

"  He  is  a  loquacious  old  fellow,  (that  Dad 
dy)  and  he  will  doubtless  complete  the  pic 
ture  for  us  by  and  by. 

"  Mr.  Marsden's  fever  has  left  him  broken 
in  health  and  spirits.  His  lungs  have  never 
been  strong,  having  been  subject  to  occasion 
al  hemorrhages.  He  complains  of  constant 
pain  in  his  chest,  and  I  fear  it  will  be  a  long 
time  before  he  recovers.  His  physician 
thinks  it  will  not  be  safe  for  him  to  return 
home  this  fall,  and  we  shall  probably  spend 
the  winter  in  this  mild  climate. 

"We  have  formed  quite  a  pleasant  circle  of 


420  LITTLE  WOLF. 

acquaintances,  and  our  evenings  are  musical, 
conversational  or  gamical,  as  best  suits  the 
invalid,  who  lies  upon  the  sofa  and  dictates 
the  programme.  Last  evening  we  did  noth 
ing  but  talk.  An  editor  of  one  of  our  city 
journals  was  present,  having  just  returned 
from  an  extensive  tour  through  the  wine 
growing  districts  of  the  State.  He  says  that 
wine  making  is  fraught  with  dire  evils  to  the 
producer  and  to  the  country.  That  it  has 
become  almost  as  cheap  as  milk,  and  as  free 
ly  drank,  till  many  once  sober  men  are  now 
habitually  intoxicated.  He  was  told  that  in 
one  neighborhood,  young  girls  seventeen 
years  of  age,  reeled  in  the  streets  under  the 
intoxication  of  pure  California  wine.  Men 
whom  he  once  knew  to  be  of  worth  he  found 
lost  to  society,  and  becoming  a  fear  and  dis 
grace  to  their  families.  One  leading  man 
whom  he  met,  enumerated  five  of  his  ac 
quaintances,  who,  once  noble  men,  are  now 
to  be  called  drunkards  through  wine.  He 
thinks  that  the  production  of  the  article,  now 
fearfully  on  the  increase,  must  become  a 


LITTLE  WOLF.  421 

curse   to   the   whole   land   if  persevered  in. 

"  In  going  through  the  wine  growing  re 
gions  he  found  it  expected,  as  an  act  of  po 
liteness,  that  wine  must  everywhere  be  pre 
sented  and  drank,  and  if  he  consented  at  all 
to  drink,  he  would  be  compelled  to  drink 
many  times  a  day,  and  would  become  a  wine 
toper  with  others.  He  declared  that  touch 
not,  taste  not,  handle  not  the  accursed  thing, 
was  the  only  rule  of  safety. 

"  He  said  if  each  grape  grower  would  grow 
only  the  raisin  grape  for  sale,  there  would  be 
no  end  to  the  profitable  disposal  of  all  which 
he  could  ever  produce  without  sin  or  danger 
to  any  one. 

"  I  remarked  that  European  travellers  told 
us  that  very  few  drank  to  intoxication  in 
those  places  where  wine  was  made  from  the 
pure  juice  of  the  grape,  and  it  was  generally 
supposed  that  the  manufacture  of  pure  do 
mestic  wine  in  this  country  would  do  away 
almost  entirely  with  intemperance. 

"  In  answer  he  read  us  a  letter  which  he 
had  just  received  from  his  friend,  a  well 


422  LITTLE   WOLF. 

known  resident  of  this  city  now  in  France. 
It  contained  a  flat  contradiction  of  the  state 
ments  to  which  I  had  alluded,  and  drew  a 
dark  picture  of  the  intemperance  in  the  wine 
producing  districts  of  France  and  Germany. 
In  fact,  it  was  a  radical  plea — as  Daddy 
would  say  —  '  agin  the  hull  infarnel  stuff.' ' 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

ANOTHER    DEATH    IN    THE    OLD    BROWN 
HOUSE. 

T  was  late  in  the  month  of  December 
when  Little  Wolf  received  from  Mrs. 
Tinknor  the  following  sad  account  of 
the  Death  Angel's  visit  to  the  old  brown 
house : 

"  My  dear  child  : 

What  I  am  about  to  write 
will  give  you  great  pain,  for  I  know  how 
dearly  you  loved  poor  old  Daddy,  and  how 
it  will  grieve  you  to  hear  that  you  will  never 


424  LITTLE  WOLF. 

see  him  again  in  this  world.  He  died  on  the 
morning  of  the  fifteenth,  after  a  short  illness 
of  ten  days. 

"  Tom  had  been  down  on  a  visit  and  return 
ed  saying  that  Daddy  was  complaining  of 
rheumatic  pains,  and  he  was  much  worse  the 
day  he  left,  and  his  wife  was  much  concern 
ed  about  him.  As  Tom  urged  it,  I  went 
down  hoping  to  cheer  up  the  old  couple. 

"  When  I  arrived  I  found  Daddy  confined 
to  his  bed,  and  groaning  with  pain,  while  his 
wife  and  Fanny  and  several  of  the  neighbors, 
were  flying  about,  applying  hot  fomentations, 
and  a  variety  of  liniments.  (It  is  astonish 
ing  how  many  busy  feet  one  sick  man  can 
keep  in  motion.) 

"  I  immediately  sent  for  Dr.  Goodrich,  al 
though  Daddy's  wife  mentioned  to  me  in  con  ] 
fidence,  that  a  '  parcel  of  old  women  were 
worth  a  dozen  doctors  who  killed  more  than 
they  cured ;  and  Daddy  himself  managed  to 
gasp  out,  '  'Tween  you  an'  me,  Miss  Tinknor 
a  leetle  good  nussin  is  the  most  I  need. 
Doctors  can't  cure  rheumatiz.' 


LITTLE   WOLF.  425 

"  However,  he  looked  forward  very  anx 
iously  to  the  Doctor's  arrival.  When  he  did 
come  and  prescribed  the  free  use  of  brandy, 
all  of  Daddy's  prejudices  were  at  once  arous 
ed,  and  no  persuasions  could  induce  him  to 
use  '  the  devil's  pison  outside  or  in.' 

"  I  believe  had  he  been  stretched  upon  the 
rack  he  would  have  died  rather  than  yield 
the  point ;  for  to  the  last,  he  adhered  firmly 
to  his  total  abstinence  principles,  and  at  the 
eleventh  hour  he  entered  his  master's  vine 
yard. 

"It  was  beautiful  indeed  to  witness  the 
ministrations  of  little  Fanny.  From  the  first 
of  his  illness  she  wept  over  and  prayed  for 
him,  and  taught  him,  who  had  gone  all  his 
life  long  a  hungry  prodigal,  the  way  to  his 
Father's  house.  I  never  shall  forget  those 
lessons,  which  so  sweetly  fell  from  her  child 
ish  lips  and  the  joy  that  beamed  in  her  speak 
ing  face,  when  Daddy  at  length  appeared  to 
have  a  clear  understanding  of  her  teachings. 

" '  'Tween  you  and  me,  Fanny,  you've 
pinted  straight  this  time,'  said  he  one  day, 


426  LITTLE  WOLF. 

after  having  listened  a  while  to  her  conversa 
tion.  '  It's  all  plain  now  —  I  see  my  Father, 
I  see  my  elder  brother,  the  Lord  Jusus  inter 
ceding  for  me —  I  see  the  table  spread,  and 
I  ain't  had  no  hand  in  the  spreadin  of  it. 
He'll  hev  to  reach  down  and  take  me  jest  as 
I  am,  and  he'll  du  it  —  I'm  sartin  of  it,  cause 
Fanny,  you  know  it  is  said  whosoever.  That 
are  whosoever  is  the  comprehendest  word  in 
the  hull  Bible.  Miss  Peters  pinted  it  out  to 
the  Honey,  and  the  Honey  told  me  about  it 
jest  afore  I  started  fur  Recta,  and  some  how 
it  went  into  one  ear  and  out  'tother.  How 
soever,  I  could  see  the  Honey  was  a  heap 
changed  by  it,  though  it  don't  take  away  nun 
of  her  pretty. — She  was  more  tenderer  like, 
and  when  she  spoke  tu  me  about  it,  the  tears 
cum  into  her  bright  eyes,  jest  like  the  pearls 
sot  around  the  diamonds  in  her  ring.  I'm 
kinder  thinkin  we  shall  talk  that  are  matter 
over  when  she  comes  back.' 

"  Up  to  the  last  day  he  was  hopeful  of  get 
ting  well,  and  none  of  us  felt  specially  con 
cerned  about  him.  The  doctor  came  and 


LITTLE  WOLF.  427 

\\  int  with  words  of  cheer,  and  I  was  making 
pieparations  to  go  home,  when  the  unexpect 
ed  summons  came.  His  pain  seemed  sud 
denly  to  change  to  the  region  of  his  heart, 
and  I  heard  him  say  to  Fanny,  '  'Tween  you 
an  me,  Fanny,  the  pain  is  in  my  heart.  I 
believe  I'm  called  fur,  and  I  ain't  done  no 
good  in  the  world  yet.  My  temperance  lec- 
tur  didn't  amount  to  nothin.  I'm  glad  I 
never  delivered  it,  fur  it  ain't  got  none  of 
Jesus's  love  in  it,  and  men  du  need  the  Al 
mighty's  lovin  hand  in  that  are  thing.  Fur 
it's  the  devil's  pison  and  mighty  hard  to  fight 
agin.  Wouldn't  the  Honey  be  glad  though, 
if  she  knew  what  a  fine  man  that  are  Sher 
man  is  since  he  give  up  drinkin.  Tell  her 
that  poor  old  Daddy  blessed  her  with  his  dy- 
in  breath.  Call  Recta,  Fanny.' 

"  I  sprang  to  his  bedside,  and  in  a  moment 
Recta  was  there  also.  The  dying  man  took 
my  hand  and  thanked  me  for  all  my  atten 
tions  to  him,  and  then  his  eyes  rested  tender 
ly  upon  his  wife.  He  tried  to  speak,  but  a 
spasm  of  pain  checked  him,  and  Recta  bent 


428  LITTLE  WOLF. 

low  to  catch  the  words.  He  pointed  up 
wards,  threw  his  arms  around  her  neck,  and 
was  gone. 

"  We  buried  him  at  the  left  of  your  parents 
beside  mammy,  and  when  I  left  a  mantle  of 
soft,  white  snow  was  flung  over  all. 

"I  brought  Fanny  home  with  me,  and 
Recta  is  living  with  Dr.  Goodrich's  family. 
Having  previously  been  so  many  years  their 
servant,  she  is  much  attached  to  the  doctor's 
wife  and  Edward  Sherman. 

"  Edward  Sherman  was  very  attentive  to 
Daddy  during  his  illness,  frequently  riding 
down  with  the  doctor  and  remaining  until 
his  next  morning's  visit.  There  is  certainly 
a  striking  change  in  his  appearance.  I  honor 
him  for  the  straight-forward,  high-minded 
course  he  has  of  late  taken.  Having  learned 
his  weakness  before  it  was  too  late,  it  has  be 
come  to  him  an  element  of  strength,  and  his 
influence  over  his  associates  speaks  well  for 
his  future  usefulness. 

"  We  all  long  to  see  you  again,  Fanny  in 
particular  wishes  for  your  return  every  day, 


LITTLE   WOLF.  429 

although  she  seems  quite  content  with  us, 
and  is  a  great  favorite  with  Tom,  who  amuses 
himself  by  plying  her  with  difficult  questions, 
which  she  patiently  puzzles  her  ingenious  lit 
tle  brain  to  answer. 

P.  S.  I  obtained  permission  of  Recta  to 
send  you  Daddy's  temperance  lecture,  with 
the  request  that  you  carefully  preserve  and 
return  it  to  her." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

DADDY'S  TEMPERANCE  LECTURE. 

AVING  slightly  modified  the  spelling 
in  Daddy's  lecture,  in  order  to  make  it 
the  more  easily  read,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  render  it  in  his  own  diction,  we  now 
place  it,  with  the  preliminary  arrangments, 
"  fur  tu  be  read  silent,"  before  the  reader. 
"  Fust,  haul  out  my  specks. 
Second,  haul  out  my  yeller  silk  hanker- 
cher. 

Third,  wipe  them  air  specks. 


LITTLE    WOLF.  431 

Fourth,  put  them  air  specks  on  my  nose. 
Fifth,  put  that  air  yeller  silk  handkercher 
in  my  pocket. 

Sixth,  clar  my  throat. 
Seventh,  go  at  it  loud. 

I  don't  expect  fur  to  sa}^  nothin  new  on  the 
subject  of  temperance,  but  it  wont  du  fur  tu 
say  nothin  cause  you  can't  get  up  no  new 
ideas.  Now  supposen  a  neat  housekeeper 
shouldn't  hev  nothin  fur  to  say,  tu  a  parcel 
of  careless  heedless  boys  and  gals,  cause  she 
must  say  the  same  old  thing  over  every  day. 
Hezekiah  clean  yer  feet.  Matilda,  hang  up 
yer  shawl.  Susan  Maria  put  away  yer  gloves, 
what  kind  of  a  house  du  ye  think  that  air 
would  be,  all  topsy  turvey  and  kivered  with 
dirt?  If  them  air  children  don't  mind  at 
fust,  she  keeps  up  that  air  kind  of  talk  from 
one  year's  end  tu  'tother,  and  ginerally  speak 
ing  they  grow  up  tu  be  orderly  men  and  wo 
men. 

Just  so  we've   got   to   hammer  and  ding 
away  at  the  temperance  cause  from  genera- 


432  LITTLE  WOLF. 

tion  to  generation,  if  we  want  our  children  tu 
be  nice  temperate  men.  Never  mind  gitten 
up  no  new  ideas  :  tech  not,  taste  not,  handle 
not,  is  good  enough  for  any  age.  Then  agin, 
ken  ye  expect  yer  hoys  fur  tu  be  tidy  when 
yer  own  feet  are  dirty  and  yer  things  out  of 
place  over  the  hull  house  ?  Them  are  little 
shavers  think  it's  big  tu  du  what  daddy  does 
and  they  are  pretty  nigh  sartin  fur  to  drink 
that  air  nasty  lager  beer  if  daddy  does.  Hev 
a  mat  at  yer  door  and  keep  yer  own  feet 
clean,  and  hev  Hezekiah  and  Matilda  and 
Susan  Maria  put  theirn  there,  tu.  That's 

the  way  fur  tu  du. 

) 

Some  say,  a  little  wine  won't  hurt  a  pus- 
sen  ;  some  say,  lager  beer  won't  hurt  a  pus- 
sen  ;  some  say,  cider  won't  hurt  nobody :  but 
I  say,  the  infarnel  stuff  which  makes  men 
drunk,  no  matter  what  name  it  goes  by,  is 
the  stuff  fur  to  let  alone.  It's  the  infarnel 
stuff,  that  makes  holes  in  yer  wallets  and 
holes  in  yer  breeches,  and  holes  in  yer  win 
ders,  and  holes  in  yer  wife's  heart,  and  kiv- 
ers  yer  children  all  over  with  holes ;  and  last 


LTTTLE   WOLF.  433 

of  all  opens  a  big  hole  in  the  ground  fur  ye 
tu  slide  through  inter  the  infarnel  regions. 

I  hev  had  it  thrown  inter  my  face  that  Je 
sus  Christ  hisself,  made  wine  out  of  water, 
fur  weddiris,  and  the  govenor  of  the  feast  said 
it  was  the  best  they  hed  hed.  I  ain't  no 
doubt  of  it  nuther,  jest  fur  two  reasons,  fust, 
it  was  made  of  water,  second,  Jesus  Christ 
hisself  made  it,  and  ye  may  bet  all  yer  new 
clothes,  He  wouldn't  hev  done  nothin  to  hurt 
nobody,  I  wouldn't  have  been  afeared  myself, 
fur  tu  drink  wine  made  of  water,  by  Jesus 
Christ.  I  reckon  we  don't  get  no  such  now 
days.  Like  enough,  one  reason  for  his  rnak- 
in  it  was  fur  tu  bender  'em  from  gittin  any 
more  of  the  miserable  intoxicating  stuff.  One 
tiling  is  sartin,  if  he  was  God,  he  wouldn't 
dispute  hisself,  and  the  Bible  expressly  says, 
4  Look  not  upon  the  wine  —  fur  in  the  end  it 
biteth  like  a  sarpent  and  stingeth  like  an  ad 
der.' 

I  don't  profess  fur  tu  know  much  about 
scriptur,  but  a  nice  leetle  gal  pinted  that  air 
varse  out  to  me,  and  she  pinted  out  another 


434  LITTLE  WOLF. 

which  said,  '  No  drunkard  ken  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.'  Howsoever,  I  ain't  no 
preacher,  and  like  enough  tham  air  black 
coats  hev  got  up  some  big  idee  that  clars  up 
the  hull  subject.  My  religion  is  tu  do  the 
best  we  kin,  and  we  needn't  be  shaky  about 
the  futur.  I've  been  a  advocating  that  air 
doctrine  this  sixty  years  and  folks  ginerally 
sarve  me  as  two  leetle  boys  did  not  long  ago. 
They  was  a  making  a  puny  leetle  dog  draw  a 
heavy  loaded  sled,  and  I  said  to  them  are  lee 
tle  shavers,  '  you'd  better  turn  in  and  push 
the  sled  and  help  that  air  tired  weakly  dog 
of  yourn  ; '  and  when  I  looked  back  a  few 
minutes  after,  them  air  leetle  rascals  was 
both  riding  on  top  of  the  load,  and  had  their 
fingers  at  their  noses  a  pintin  at  me. 

What  people  want  is  fur  to  have  their 
hearts  teched  deep,  and  I  don't  know  how 
fur  tu  du  it.  I  could  tell  stories  about  what 
liquor  has  done,  that  orter  set  every  one  of 
ye.  a  snivellin  powerful,  but  I  reckon  you'd 
ruther  hear  something  funny.  Temperance 
lecturers  is  generally  expected  fur  tu  tell  fun- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  435 

ny  stories  jest  as  a  farmer  is  expected  fur  tu 
feed  out  his  husks  tu  them  air  animals  that 
loves  fur  tu  chaw  husks.  The  grain  goes 
futher  when  he  fodders  in  that  air  way. 

But  I  don't  know  nothin  funny  connected 
with  the  subject  of  drinking.  It  is  all  kiver- 
ed  over  with  groans  and  sighs  and  tears  and 
blood,  and  ye'd  shudder  fur  tu  hear  about  it, 
and  yer  feelins  may  be  would  get  tu  tossin 
and  bilin  like  mad,  but  yer  wouldn't  du  noth 
in.  My  be  in  a  few  minutes  you'd  treat  me 
as  them  air  boys  did,  and  take  a  glass  of  beer 
with  yer  neighbors,  cause  all  that  biling  and 
tossin  is  on  the  surface.  It  don't  go  deep 
enough  fur  tu  make  ye  act. 

T'other  night  a  neighbor  of  mine  was  a 
walkin  hum  with  me  and  we  went  past  the 
house  of  an  old  Scothman,  who  gits  drunk 
every  time  he  ken  git  trusted,  or  treated  or 
ken  git  change  enough  fur  tu  buy  the  whis 
key,  and  his  wife  ain't  no  better  than  he  is. 
They  hev  two  nice  leetle  children,  a  boy  and 
a  gal,  and  them  air  unfeeling  wretches,  lied, 
in  a  fit  of  drunken  madness,  actually  shet 


436  LITTLE  WOLF. 

their  leetle  boy  and  gal  out  of  doors  that  cold 
freezing  night.  The  poor  babies  was  half 
naked,  and  they  had  curled  powerful  close 
together  on  the  door  step,  where  the  winds 
bio  wed  around  and  gnawed  away  at  their 
half  froze  bodies,  until  the  stout  hearted  boy 
cried  with  pain  as  he  tuck  off  his  Scotch  bon 
net  and  put  his  sister's  poor,  little,  red,  frost 
bit  feet  inter  it.  His  own  feet  was  bare,  and 
their  heads  was  bare,  and  in  a  little  while 
they  might  hev  froze  to  death,  hed  we  not 
passed  that  air  way.  Wall,  we  stopped  and 
tried  fur  tu  make  them  air  critters  inside 
open  the  door,  but  they  hed  locked  up,  and 
settled  down  inter  a  drunken  sleep,  and  the 
children  begged  us  not  fur  tu  disturb  'em  for 
them  are  children  was  afeared  of  being  maul 
ed  tu  death.  They'd  ruther  freeze  than  ven- 
tur  in.  So  one  of  'em  I  tuck  and  my  neigh 
bor  tuck  t'other  hum.  He  was  a  swearing 
away  all  the  time  at  them  air  folks  making 
such  beasts  of  themselves. 

Now,  what  du  yer  think  he  did  hisself  the 
next  day  ?     He  got  so  tight  he  couldn't  walk 


LITTLE  WOLF.  437 

straight.  I  met  him  a  going  hum  smellin  like 
a  whiskey  barrel  and  raising  his  feet  powerful 
high.  Says  I,  '  Neighbor  G.,  I  wouldn't  hev 
thought  you  would  ever  hev  teched  another 
mite  of  liquor  after  what  we  see  last  night.' 
Says  he,  '  Mr.  Roarer,  I  ken  control  nry  ap 
petite.  I  know  jest  when  fur  tu  stop.  I 
shall  go  hum  and  kiss  my  wife  and  children 
and  not  drive  'em  out  of  doors  as  Scotch 
Billy  did.' 

Says  I,  '  Thats  just  the  way  Scotch  Billy 
talked  five  years  ago.'  '  Wall,  wall,'  says  he, 
'  I  ain't  one  of  yer  Scotch  Billys ;  I  know 
when  fur  tu  stop,' 

But  ye  won't  du  it ;  ye'll  cave  under  by 
and  by.  Them  air  kind  that  brag  that  they 
know  jest  when  fur  tu  stop  is  generally  the 
very  ones  that  go  under  afore  they  know  it, 
I  thinked  tu  myself  as  he  staggered  oft 

If  there  is  an  old  toper  present,  or  a  young 
toper,  let  'em  take  the  warning  of  an  old 
man  who  has  been  awatching  the  gradual 
down  fall  of  moderate  drinkers  for  threescore 
years.  I've  seen  'em  live,  and  I've  seeji  'em 


438  LITTLE   WOLF. 

die.  Die  ain't  no  name  fur  the  last  struggle 
I've  seen  'em  go  through  with.  Jest  picture 
tu  yourself  a  grapery,  stretchin  miles  away, 
and  in  that  air  grapery  is  walkin  men  of 
every  age  and  condition,  and  all  are  a  pluck- 
iii  them  are  big  purple  grapes.  Some  eat 
many,  some,  few  ;  some  grow  red  and  portly, 
some  grow  pale  and  thin,  (1  hem  air  pale  ones 
take  the  longest  strides  and  get  to  the  end 
fust.)  They  hev  all  been  warned  that  that 
air  fruit  hes  been  pisened,  and  some  of  them 
git  a  leetle  frightened  at  seein  the  strange 
way  it  effects  companions,  and  they  turn 
back,  but  the  most  on  'em  go  on,  plucking 
and  eating,  heedless  of  the  cries  of  them 
without.  O,  they  know  jest  how  many  fur  tu 
eat  and  not  die.  Their  friends  needn't  wor 
ry  :  they  ken  take  care  of  theirselves. 

'  Mother,'  says  a  youth,  lookin  through  the 
lattices,  with  a  glow  upon  his  cheek,  '  I'm  all 
right,  don't  bother  about  me.  See  Mr.  Mod 
erate  Drinker  ahead  there,  —  see  how  hale 
he  looks  —  he'll  live  longer  than  any  of  ye 

O  »/  «/ 

outside.'     But    afore    long    that    air   smart 


LITTLE  WOLF.  439 

youth  goes  reeling  past  Mr.  Moderate  Drink 
er,  toward  the  end. — It  is  too  late  now  —  let 
his  mother  cry  to  heaven  and  wring  her 
hands  and  lie  in  the  ashes  upon  the  hearth. 
It  is  all  in  vain. —  'My  boy,  oh,  my  boy!' 
rings  unheeded  in  his  ear.  A  mother's  voice, 
a  mother's  tears,  a  mother's  anguish,  what 
are  they  compared  with  the  fruit,  which  he 
has  lost  the  power  to  resist,  and  which  his 
companions  are  constantly  urging  upon  him  ? 
But  look  !  He  suddenly  starts  back  pale  and 
fearful.  He  has  seen  the  precipice  and  the 
black  gulfs  with  open  jaws  jest  afore  him  ? 
No,  ah  no,  the  heavy  clusters  and  the  inter 
laced  vines  hide  that.  But  he  heard  the  de 
spairing  shriek  of  a  feller  traveller  as  he 
plunged  in :  and  for  a  moment  he  tremblingly 
questions,  what  is  there  ? 

Ah,  there  is  no  clusters,  no  leaves,  no 
vines,  between  that  spot  and  his  devoted 
mother's  eye.  She  has  long  looked  fearfully 
towards  it,  and,  just  upon  the  verge,  she  sees 
him  falter. 

A  faint  hope  springs  up   within  her,  and, 


440  LITTLE   WOLF. 

with  the  courage  of  desperation,  she  cries  out 
in  a  voice  that  might  pierce  the  skies,  '  Turn, 
oh,  my  boy,  turn,  flee  fur  yer  life  —  one  step 
forward  and  ye  are  lost ! '  Her  last  words 
are  drowned  in  the  jeers  of  his  companions, 
and  his  senses  are  deadened  by  the  odors  of 
the  purple  cluster  just  ahead,  and  to  reach  it 
he  takes  the  fatal  step.  Fur  a  moment  he 
hangs  suspended  over  the  abyss,  clutchin  the 
vines  whose  roots  take  hold  on  hell,  and  as 
with  bloodshot  eyes  and  fearful  shrieks,  he 
tugs  and  strains  to  regain  his  footin,  a  foul 
sarpent  winds  its  way  among  the  leaves,  and 
stealthily  strikes  his  fangs  inter  the  branch 
to  which  he  clings,  and  gnaws  his  last  refuge. 

That  air  is  the  way  they  die. 

Now,  can't  nothin  be  done  fur  to  keep 
folks  out  of  that  air  grapery  ?  If  the  law 
would  only  put  a  door  tu  it,  and  shet  it  tight, 
I  recken  there  wouldn't  be  many  that  would 
git  in  thar.  Some  old  topers  that  hev  got  a 
strong  hankeriu  after  that  pisen  fruit,  might 
crawl  through  the  lattices  to  get  it.  When 
the  place  is  wide  open  and  everything  looks 


LITTLE  WOLF.  441 

temptin,  and  they  see  a  crowd  a  going  that 
air  way,  it  is  easy  fur  tu  foller,  but  when  it's 
all  shet  up  they  turn  away  tu  somethin  bet 
ter,  fur  almost  any  thin  is  better  than  sech  a 
place  as  I  hev  described. 

I  know  that  a  passel  of  big  lawyers  and 
judges  say  that  we  can't  make  a  effectual 
door  cause  there  ain't  no  timber  in  the  con 
stitution  fur  tu  make  it  of  and  so  some  is  fur 
putting  up  a  rickety  kind  of  a  barricade  fur 
tu  keep  folks  on  Sundays  and  lection  days, 
and  some  is  fur  hevin  a  gate  that  them  air 
sarpents  inside  will  hev  fur  tu  pay  a  big  pile 
of  money  fur  tu  get  the  privilege  of  openin. 
But  I  don't  see  why  on  airth,  if  they  ken  git 
timber  fur  them  air  half  way  consarns,  they 
can't  git  it  fur  a  hull  door.  If  they  can't, 
they  hed  better  graft,  some  law  agin  liquor 
sellin  branches  inter  that  air  constitutional 
tree,  and  hev  them  air  infarnel  roads  to  the 
infarnel  regions  blocked  up  entirely. 

Howsoever,  while  its  open  a  single  crack 
we  must  du  the  best  we  ken  fur  tu  keep  the 
people  out  of  the  wrong  track.  Them  air 


442  LITTLE   WOLF. 

temperance  societies,  and  temperance  pledges 
is  mighty  good,  but  there  ain't  enough  of 'em 
and  they  ain't  active  enough.  Now,  a  nice, 
smart,  rosy-cheeked  gal  instead  of  passin 
round  wine  tu  her  little  party  of  friends, 
might  pass  a  temperance  pledge,  and  coax 
them  air  beaux  of  hern  inter  puttin  their 
names  tu  it,  and  give  'em  a  nice  cup  of  coffee 
fur  tu  top  off  with.  There  might  be  lots  of 
them  air  kind  of  things  did,  if  folks  only  set 
themselves  to  work  in  earnest.  Instead  of 
telling  yer  friends  that  it  won't  hurt'em,  as 
I've  heerd  of  some  infatuated  pussons  doin, 
tell  'em  total  abstinence  won't  hurt  'em,  and 
I'll  ventur  fur  tu  say  they'll  thank  ye  fur  it, 
instead  of  cussin  of  ye  tu  all  eternity  fur  put- 
tin  the  glass  to  their  lips.  That  air  reminds 
me  of  another  scriptur  that  that  air  little  gal 
pinted  out  to  me,  '  Woe  tu  him  that  putteth 
the  glass  to  his  neighbor's  lips.'  That  air  is 
all  the  scriptur  I  ken  quote  correct  'tween 
Genesis  and  Revelation.  I  larned  it  fur  tu 
throw  in  the  face  of  one  of  them  black  coats, 
that  hes  invited  me  fur  tu  tend  his  church. 


IJTTLE   WOLF.  443 

Sez  I  til  him,  '  If  ye'll  preach  from  that  air 
text  I'll  go.'  Sez  he,  '  I  preach  the  gospel. 
I  can't  be  givin  my  valooble  time  to  politics 
and  temperance  lecturs,  but  I'll  read  that  air 
chapter  to  my  congregation  if  ye'll  come.' 
Sez  I,  '  no-siree !  I  don't  believe  in  no  half 
way  business.'  Ye  see  I  had  an  inkling  that 
lie  was  afeered  of  that  air  rich  hullsale  liquor 
dealer  that  tended  his  church.  Them  that 
retail  the  stuff  is  generally  looked  down  up 
on,  but  them  air  that  is  rich  enough  to  shovel 
it  out  by  the  hullsale  is  looked  up  tu  on  the 
principle,  tui'n  yer  back  tu  a  poor  devil,  take 
off  yer  hat  to  a  rich  devil. 

I  never  could  think  of  anythin  bad  enough 
fur  tu  say  about  the  mischief  them  air  liquor 
dealers  du,  and  ruther  guess  on  that  account 
I'll  hev  fur  tu  leave  'em  to  the  cuss  which 
God  Almighty  hisself  has  passed  upon  'em. 
I  hev  no  doubt  but  that  air  cuss  has  been 
echoed  and  rechoed  by  millions  upon  millions 
of  their  victims.  I  would  hate  to  have  all 
the  cusses  of  the  widows  and  orphans,  and 
the  wus  than  widows  and  orphans  that  them 


444  LITTLE  WOLF. 

air  ginerations  of  vipers  hev  made,  and  bit. 

But  there  is  another  pint  which  consarns 
every  one  of  us.  Hev  we  a  right  to  stand  by- 
silent  and  see  these  things  did  ? 

That  air  is  a  big  question  that  some  folks 
would  like  fur  to  dodge,  cause  maybe  if  they 
took  a  active  part  agin  drunkard  makin,  it 
might  interfere  with  their  dollars,  or  with 
their  friends  or  with  their  interests  in  other 
ways.  But  ye  can't  dodge  the  question  ;  its 
afore  ye,  and  there  it  shall  stand  until  Gabriel 
blows  his  big  horn,  and  you'll  hev  fur  tu  an 
swer  it,  tu  the  Almighty,  hisself. 

Don't  the  Bible  say  that  every  tub  shall 
stand  on  its  own  bottom  ?  I've  heerd  it  did, 
and  I'm  a  thinkin  that  all  of  them  air  useless 
tubs  that  stand  out  a  sunning  theirselves,  will 
fall  down  and  not  hev  any  botton  fur  tu 
stand  on  when  they  are  fur,  and  will  only  be 
fit  fur  firewood.  Fur  my  part  I  don't  blame 
God  Almighty  fur  pitchin  folks  inter  the  in- 
farnel  regions  when  they  won't  du  nothin  fur 
tu  keep  things  right  in  this  ere  world,  and 


LITTLE  WOLF.  445 

some  actually  bender  others  from  doing  any 
thing. 

Now,  supposen  there  was  a  big  hole  in  the 
end  of  our  street  and  a  passel  of  citizens 
should  du  all  they  could  to  keep  that  air  hole 
open  fur  people  to  fall  inter,  and  you'd  hear 
'em  hollerin  out  tu  folks  that  was  a  tryin  to 
stop  it  up ;  '  Let  that  air  hole  alone,  every 
body  knows  its  there,  if  they  don't  want  fur 
tu  git  inter  it  let  em  go  another  way ;  there 
is  plenty  of  streets  ; '  wouldn't  yer  think  them 
air  rascals  ought  to  be  singed  to  all  etarnity  ? 
Well,  what's  the  mighty  difference  'tween 
them  air,  and  a  passel  of  citizens  that'll  set 
by  and  see  the;r  feller  citizens  go  straight  in 
ter  that  air  hole  and  say  nothin  ?  I  believe 
in  men's  minding  their  own  business,  and  I 
hold  its  a  man's  business  to  save  a  drownding 
feller  critter  if  he  ken. 

I  hev  now  come  to  my  last  pint.  It  is  this. 
Shall  we  hev  laws  that  will  save  our  nation 
from  becoming  a  nation  of  drunkards,  or 
shall  we  not?  Just  picture  to  yourself  a 
drunken  president.  We  hev  hed  him.  Then 


446  LITTLE   WOLF. 

picture  a  passel  of  drunken  senators.  We 
hev  hed  them,  tu.  Seems  zif  the  more  big 
men  ken  circulate  the  devil's  pisen,  the  bet 
ter  they  like  it,  and  that  air  in  my  opinion  is 
one  reason  why  we  can't  get  laws  tu  shet 
down  the  making  and  selling  of  the  infarnel 
stuff.  Why,  keep  that  air  kind  of  men  in 
office,  and  figuratively  speakin,  the  fust  we 
know,  a  pair  of-  the  president's  breeches  will 
be  stuffed  inter  a  broken  winder  of  that  air 
White  House.  Fur  if  we  keep  a  sendin  men 
tu  Washington,  that  is  friendly  tu  that  air 
sarpent  with  many  heads,  it  will  git  so  big 
that  it  will  sartin  bust  every  thing  to  flinters. 
It's  leetle  young  ones  are  a  crawlin  every 
where  now.  They  lay  coiled  on  the  hearth 
of  the  rich  man  and  the  poor  man,  and  woe 
to  the  infatuated  pussen  who  gits  inter  their 
slimy  folds.  O,  what  wretched  slaves  they 
do  make  of  their  victims.  What  tears,  what 
anguish,  what  poverty,  what  degradation  du 
they  bring  them  tu  !  , 

Shall  we,  the  free  born  sons  of  America, 
consent  fur  tu  be  made  slaves,  and  lay  among 


LITTLE   WOLF.  447 

the  pots  ?  Shall  we  walk  in  rags  and  stag 
ger  in  fetters  with  the  blood  of  the  iimercent 
on  our  hands  ?  I  say,  shall  this  big  proud 
nation  be  made  fur  tu  totter  and  tu  reel  like 
a  helpless  baby  a  learnin  fur  tu  walk  ?  Shall 
that  air  many  headed  sarpent  rule  us,  or  shall 
we  rule  it  ? 

Haul  out  yer  temperance  pledges  !  Float 
the  banner  of  total  abstinence  !  Wave  high 
the  flag  of  freedom  ;  and  fight  long  and  fight 
well  fur  freedom ;  from  the  intoxicatin  cup  !  " 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

DEATH  IN  MID  OCEAN  —  LOVE  MAKING  AND 
A  DOUBLE  WEDDING. 

HE  birds  are  mating,  and  the  spring 
will  soon  open,  and  when  the  little  song 
sters  come  to  you,  I  am  coming  with 
them,"  wrote  Little  Wolf  to  Mrs.  Tinknor  in 
the  month  of  February. 

So  now,  dear  reader,  let  us  skip  the  inter 
vening  months,  and  go  half  way  tq  meet  her. 
Her  friends  having  planned  to  carry  out  their 
promise  to  Captain  Green,  whose  acquain- 


LITTLE  WOLF.  449 

tance  and  that  of  his  little  daughter  Flora,  it 
will  be  remembered,  she  formed  on  her  out 
ward  trip ;  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  take  passage 
on  the  steamship  "  Northern  Star,"  Captain 
Green,  commander,  and  we  will  soon  have 
the  pleasure  of  greeting  our  heroine. 

Little  Flora,  who  has  once  more  been  per 
mitted  to  accompany  her  papa,  is  all  impa 
tience,  and  almost  every  hour  of  the  day  she 
may  be  heard  singing,  "  O  dear,  I  am  so  wery, 
wery,  anxious  to  see  dear  Miss  DeWolf,"  and 
"  papa,  ain't  you  wery,  wery,  anxious  to  see 
Miss  DeWolf?" 

The  Captain  assures  his  daughter  that  he 
is  "  wery  anxious,"  and,  indeed,  when  he 
says  so,  his  dark  eyes  kindle,  and  his  fine, 
sunburnt  countenance  glows  and  warms  ex 
pressively  under  his  broad  brimmed  hat. 

The  day  has  come  at  last,  and  Little  Wolfs 
party  are  aboard,  but  oh,  how  changed  are 
they  all ! 

Consumption  has  fastened  itself  upon  poor 
Alfred  Marsden.  His  days  are  numbered, 
and  for  earth  he  seems  to  have  but  one  de- 


450  LITTLE  WOLF. 

sire,  to  see  again  his  childhood  home,  and  die 
there.  His  faithful. nurses,  Annie  and  Little 
Wolf,  have  grown  pale  and  thin,  His  sister's 
eyes  are  tear  stained,  and  Little  Wolfs  also 
grief  shaded,  for  together  they  have  watched 
over  and  tended  him,  striving  to  drive  away 
that  unseen  something,  which  makes  his 
cheeks  and  lips  so  white,  and  takes  fast  hold 
upon  his  vitals,  determined  to  wrench  him 
away  from  those  he  loves. 

It  will  not  even  grant  his  last  wish ;  for 
here,  in  mid  ocean,  he  grapples  with  death. 
All  day  long  those  fair  jroung  faces  have  bent 
over  him,  and  his  friend,  the  Captain,  has 
been  there  with  them,  and  little  Flora  has 
hovered  near  with  trembling  lips,  whispering 
softly,  "  I  am  so  wery,  wery,  sorry." 

As  the  evening  draws  on,  the  sick  man  re 
vives  a  little,  and  in  a  low,  rapid  tone,  says 
something  to  his  sister,  which  we  do  not  hear, 
but  with  a  few  hurried  words  to  Little  Wolf, 
she  moves  away  with  the  Cap  tain,  and  Flora, 
and  Little  Wolf  is  left  alone  with  the  dying. 
All  that  he  is  breathing  into  her  ear  we  shall 


MTTLE   WOO".  451 

never  know  ;  but  her  cheek  changes,  and  her 
lip  quivers,  and  she  bends  over  and  kisses 
him  tenderly. 

That  hungry  look  in  his  eyes  is  gone.  He 
is  satisfied,  and  now,  surrounded  by  those  he 
loves,  he  dies  with  a  smile  upon  his  lips. 

His  body  will  not  rest  in  the  place  prepar 
ed  for  him  in  Greenwood,  beside  his  parents, 
but  will  sink  into  the  ocean's  Greenwood, 
where  the  sea  shall  ever  kiss  his  lips,  where 
flowers  bloom,  and  things  of  beauty  are  per 
petual,  and  coral  monuments  are  raised,  out- 
rivalling  those  of  the  cemeteries  of  art. 

The  fair  moon  shines  out  upon  the  waves 
and  the  winding  sheet,  and  the  burial  is  over. 

Three  days  more,  and  we  shall  be  on  shore 
again,"  says  Little  Wolf,  half  regretfully. 

The  Captain  is  by  her  side,  and  he  bends 
over  and  says  something  which  we  do  not 
hear. 

Little  Wolf  shakes  her  head,  and  her  in 
genuous  little  face  says  no,  as  plainly  as 
words  could, 

^  shade  of  disappointment  manifests  itself 


452  LITTLE  WOLF. 

in  the  Captain's  manner,  and  again  he  speaks. 

His  companion  still  replies  in  the  negative. 

"  Then  he  was  but  a  deer  friend,  and  - 1 
may  be  the  same,"  says  the  Captain,  now  loud 
enough  to  be  heard. 

Now  Little  Wolf  says  distinctly,  "  yes,  you 
may  be  the  same,  Captain  Green.  You  res 
cued  me  in  perils  by  sea,  and  he  in  perils  by 
land.  He  told  me  with  his  latest  breath  how 
he  had  saved  me  from  certain  destruction 
when  I  was  a  little  child,  and  — " 

"  And  how  he  loved  you  in  after  years,  and 
how  he  longed  to  kiss  you,"  said  the  Captain, 
seeing  her  hesitate. 

"Yes,  Captain,"  said  Little  Wolf  solemnly, 
he  told  me  that,  and  more  which  you  must 
not  hear." 

"  I  know  how  he  felt,"  says  the  Captain, 
folding  his  arms  across  his  breast,  "  for  I 
would  be  willing  to  die,  if  you  would  but  kiss 
me." 

"  Captain,"  Little  Wolf's  cheek  grows  scar 
let,  and  she  pauses  to  choke  down  a  strong 


LITTLE   WOLF.  453 

emotion,  "  there  is  a  man  living  whom  I  have 
kissed,  and  I  suall  never  kiss  another.'*' 

The  Captain's  voice  sinks  very  low  in  re 
ply,  but  Little  Wolf  warmly  takes  his  prof 
fered  hand,  and  it  is  easily  to  be  seen  that 
more  than  a  common  friendship  has  sprung 
up  between  them. 

Now  the  Captain,  Little  Wolf,  Miss  Mars- 
den,  and  little  Flora,  have  become  almost  in 
separable.  A  permanent  parting  is  not  once 
spoken  of  between  them.  Their  last  day  at 
sea  is  spent  in  planning  to  be  together  for  the 
summer. 

It  has  transpired  that  Little  Wolf's  pro 
tege,  Fanny  Green,  is  a  niece  of  the  Captain's. 
His  elder  brother,  Fanny's  father,  having 
formed  bad  habits,  ran  away  from  home,  and 
it  was  supposed,  went  to  sea,  and  had  not 
been  heard  of  by  his  family  up  to  the  time  of 
the  Captain's  acquaintance  with  Little  Wolf. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  the  Captain 
and  Flora,  are  to  accompany  Little  Wolf  and 
Miss  Marsden  to  Minnesota,  where  they  ex- 


454  LITTLE  WOLF. 

pect  to  greet  their  newly  discovered  little 
relative. 

A  few  weeks  later,  and  everything  was  in 
company  order  at  Squire  Tinknor's,  and 
Fanny  Green's  demure  little  face  looked  out 
of  the  window,  almost  the  entire  day  that 
Little  Wolf  and  her  friends  were  to  arrive, 
and  when,  just  at  twilight,  a  carriage  brought 
them  to  the  gate,  she  shrank  away  in  the 
folds  of  the  curtain,  and  Little  Wolf  found 
her  there  sobbing  for  joy. 

Her  cousin  Flora  greeted  her  with  the  re 
mark,  '•  Why,  dear  me,  how  wery,  wery  large 
you  are,  cousin  Fanny ;  I  thought  you  would 
be  smaller  than  me." 

Little  Wolf  found  letters  awaiting  her  from 
the  Ilanfords,  and  Antoinette  Le  Clare,  urg 
ing  her  to  come  with  her  friends  and  spend  a 
few  weeks  at  Fairy  Knoll. 

It  was  decided  that  they  should  accept  the 
invitation,  and  accordingly,  on  a  warm  sum 
mer  morning,  a  requisition  was  made  on 
Squire  Tinknor's  horses  and  carriage,  and 
Tom  was  installed  as  driver. 


LITTLE   WOLF.  455 

Fanny  and  Flora  were  to  be  left  with  Mrs. 
Tinknor,  and,  as  Tom  tenderly  kissed  the 
former,  his  charge  to  her  was,  "  Take  care  of 
yourself,  Fanny  dear,  for  you  know  you  have 
promised  to  be  my  little  wife,"  and  Flora  said 
that  was  "  wery,  wery  nice." 

The  Captain  occupied  a  seat  beside  Miss 
Marsden,  and  Little  Wolf  sat  by  Tom,  whom, 
having  ceased  to  be  a  lover,  she  found  to  be 
quite  entertaining,  and  they  amused  them 
selves  by  building  air  castles  and  earth  cas 
tles,  such  as  baloons  and  orphan  asylums ;  and 
indeed,  by  the  time  Fairy  Knoll  loomed  up 
before  them  in  the  moonlight,  they  had  be 
come  warmer  friends  than  they  had  ever 
been. 

As  they  neared  the  cottage,  Little  Wolf 
could  not  repress  a  sigh,  for  too  well  did  she 
remember  her  emotions  on  that  wintry  morn 
ing,  when  she  and  Edward  Sherman  left  that 
spot  together,  so  light  of  heart,  so  full  of  hope 
and  joy. 

Out  sprang  the  watchers  from  within,  to 
welcome  their  guests,  and  into  the  arms  of 


456  LITTLE   WOLF. 

Edward  Sherman  sprang  Little  Wolf.  She 
had  instantly  recognized  him,  and  a  glad  cry 
escaped  her,  as  he  caught  her  to  his  breast. 

The  Captain  saw  all  at  a  glance,  and  he 
then  knew  whom  Little  Wolf  had  kissed,  and 
who  was  kissing  her.  Light  also  seemed  to 
have  suddenly  dawned  on  Tom's  benighted 
vision. 

Without  ceremony  or  apology,  Edward 
bore  our  heroine  away  to  a  retired  spot  in  the 
grove  surrounding  the  cottage.  Their  inter 
view  was  not  interrupted,  until  Tom,  in  the 
course  of  half  an  hour  had  the  temerity  to 
venture  out,  and  suggest  the  propriety  of  Lit 
tle  Wolfs  partaking  of  a  cup  of  tea. 

"  Did  we  not  manage  it  nicely  ?  "  said  An 
toinette  Le  Clare  to  Little  Wolf  when  they 
were  alone.  "•  Mr.  Sherman  came  out  for  a 
little  recreation,  and  did  not  think  of  seeing 
you.  We  made  him  think  that'  it  was  his 
sister  we  were  expecting,  and  when  he  rush 
ed  to  meet  her  and  saw  who  it  was  you  ought 
to  have  seen  his  face." 

On  the  subject  of  lovemaking,  which  was 


LITTLE    WOLF.  457 

witnessed  by  the  trees  in  the  grove  at  Fairy 
Knoll,  we  will  be  silent.  But  the  double 
wedding  which  followed  was  public  and 
grand,  and  took  place  at  St.  Paul,  under  Mrs. 
Tinknor's  supervision. 

Miss  Marsden  returned  to  New  York  as 
Mrs.  Captain  Green,  and  little  Flora  declared 
herself  "  wery,  wery  fond  of  her  new  mama." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherman  accompanied  them 
as  far  as  the  city  of  Pendleton,  where  Ed 
ward  proposes  to  make  his  future  home. 

At  parting  Tom  wickedly  mentioned  to 
Little  Wolf  that  he  was  concerned  for  the 
prosperity  of  that  much  talked  of  orphan  asy 
lum.  Whereupon  the  dignified  Mrs.  Sher 
man  assured  him  that  having  proved  himself 
so  capable  of  preparing  an  asylum  for  the 
orphan  in  which  they  were  mutually  interest 
ed,  she  thought  him  better  adapted  to  carry 
out  her  benevolent  projects  than  she  was, 
and  consequently  would  leave  the  matter  in 
his  hands  for  the  present. 

Not  long  after  their  marriage  Edward  Sher 
man  discovered  in  his  wife's  secretary  a  total 


458  LITTLE  WOLF. 

abstinence  pledge,  to  which  was  appended  a 
long  list  of  names.  It  was  the  same  which 
Mr.  Marsden  had  drawn  up  on  shipboard, 
and  "  Alfred  Marsden,"  headed  the  list. 

Edward  took  it  from  its  place,  and  he  was 
in  the  act  of  signing  his  own  name  at  the  bot 
tom,  when  a  bright  curly  head  came  between 
him  and  the  paper,  and  rosy  lips  whispered, 
"  Thank  you,  Edward  love,  for  this  free  will 
offering." 


THE    END. 


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